


The Wrath Of Earth

by sapphic_avatar



Series: How a criminal becomes a hero [1]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Angst and Fluff and Smut, Azula (Avatar) Needs a Hug, Badass Katara (Avatar), Badass Toph Beifong, Bisexual Female Character, Bisexual Sokka (Avatar), Bisexual Suki (Avatar), Enemies to Friends, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, Eventual Smut, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Lesbian Azula (Avatar), Lesbian Ty Lee (Avatar), Minor Mai/Zuko, Mutual Pining, Non-Graphic Smut, Ozai (Avatar) Being a Terrible Parent, Ozai (Avatar) is an Asshole, Past Sexual Abuse, Past Sexual Assault, Pirates, Protective Azula (Avatar), Protective Sokka (Avatar), Protective Toph Beifong, Protective Zuko (Avatar), Reader is a girl, She cant help it, Slow Burn, Smut, Zhao (Avatar) Is An Asshole, Zuko (Avatar) Needs a Hug, Zuko (Avatar)-centric, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, also metalbender but later, also she has a magnetic centre, and former pirate, and glassbender, and lavabender, and sandbender, bonebending, dao fei, her mother is a dao fei leader, reader is an earthbender, reader is poc, she attracts many people, she is a badass, she is a thief
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-30
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:08:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 15
Words: 73,863
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28435161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sapphic_avatar/pseuds/sapphic_avatar
Summary: Kyoko was the daughter of an outlaw, the leader of the Dao Fei. She ran away from home when she decided she wanted to be on her own, but she ends up as a prisoner on Zuko's ship when she is caught stealing his gold. Once free, she is taken by team avatar, but it seems like Zuko can't stay away from her for long. She finds herself having to choose a side, but trouble finds her at every corner and she cannot outrun her fate. Especially when her mother and her gang are on Kyoko's tail to bring her home.And other than these, Kyoko has to deal with her feelings as well, which keep getting in the way of her plans.
Relationships: Aang/Katara (Avatar), Azula (Avatar)/Original Female Character(s), Jet (Avatar)/Original Female Character(s), Katara (Avatar) & Original Female Character(s), Mai/Ty Lee (Avatar), Sokka (Avatar)/Original Female Character(s), Sokka/Suki (Avatar), The Gaang (Avatar) & Original Character(s), The Gaang (Avatar) & Original Female Character(s), Toph Beifong/Original Female Character(s), Zuko (Avatar)/Original Female Character(s)
Series: How a criminal becomes a hero [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2127570
Comments: 25
Kudos: 43





	1. The Prince and The Thief

**Author's Note:**

> I was having second thought about actually publishing this, but I doubt anyone is going to read it, therefore this is more for me. But if you read it, let me know what you think. It isn't my first fanfic, but it's the longest and most developed one, so there's that.

<https://open.spotify.com/track/0pxNyJJiL2zZZ5GgJ4JhsQ?si=sa-w_d6zSWawVORdDsle1g>

_'Stars in her eyes  
She fights for the power, keeping time  
She grinds day and night'_

* * *

The wind pushed the hair out of her face, the contact-making the girl flinch as she felt the cold breeze against her dry skin. The sky was crystal clear, blue, and vibrant, and she closed her eyes as she took in the view. "This better be worth it." she closed her fists, pocketing the dagger hidden under her shirt.

Kyoko couldn't afford to come back with empty hands. She sailed on her own for months, eating whatever she could find, but she owed the ship's money to the old man who let her borrow it a few months ago. Of course, he wanted payment, and he threatened to tell on her to the soldiers who camped next to his house. In other words, Kyoko was in deep shit, and the only way out was to pay the old man one hundred silver coins by dawn, or else...

She took in a deep breath, hiding between the black material of the scarf she wrapped her face with. She was dressed like a boy, covering her piercings and her tattoos from the world, as well as her body and her face. Kyoko counted to three, and then she jumped from the column she hid behind straight on the anchored ship in the harbor. She was a powerful earthbender, so at least she could hide well in the shadows. Kyoko took in her surroundings again before she took out her dagger.

Kyoko slammed the handle of the dagger against a guard's head and hid him behind a wood pillar as she entered the room with soundless steps. She has been eyeing the ship all morning, and she was certain the leader wasn't on the ship. Kyoko closed the door carefully behind her and opened the black bag attached to her belt. 

It was almost dawn, and she had barely one hour left before the deal was off. It wasn't her fault, really. Geming told her he would borrow her the ship to pay off a favor he owed Kyoko's mother. But then fought with someone in her mother's crew, and he changed his mind regarding his offer to Kyoko. As soon as she returned the ship to him after six weeks of sailing, he asked her for two hundred silver coins by next dawn, and if she didn't return with them in time, he'd tell on her like the little snitch he was.

Kyoko swore under her breath as she couldn't find even a copper coin.   
"Come on, come on! Aren't Fire Nation ships loaded with money?" she spat, closing the drawer again. She opened another and grinned in satisfaction. "Now we're talking." Kyoko sighed in relief, placing the pure gold compass in her bag. That must have been worth over 20 silver coins. She checked the room's every drawer, but when she decided there was nothing worthy there, she ran out of the room, heading to another one, down the deck.

Kyoko went straight to the fanciest-looking room, glaring as she saw the Fire Nation flag attached to a wall. She opened every drawer and smirked as she finally found a small red bag. Kyoko opened it, and to her satisfaction, there were at least thirty gold coins. She took out five of them, pulling them in her shirt, and placed the small bag into her black one. Then, to her horror, the ship began moving. "Shit," she swore under her breath, quickly checking the other drawer, and pulled out a map. "This might be worth something too." she was getting desperate, and for good reasons. 

The ship was moving incredibly fast considering its damaged front the soldiers have been repairing for a while now. "Shit," Kyoko swore again, closing the drawer and rising to her feet. She had to get out now if she wanted to make it on time. Not that she worried much about the soldiers, she could always hide. But that old snitch would make sure her mother knew what she's been doing the past months while she hid from her family and the rest of the Dao Fei. And her mother won't be very pleased. Of course, she'd be proud to know her daughter was stealing from the Fire Nation or stealing in general, but the simple fact that she owed Geming money was disgraceful. Dao Fei couldn't owe outsiders anything, ever.

Kyoko placed the map in her bag and went for the door, but, to her absolute horror, someone walked in. No matter, she could fight her way out. Whatever it took to go back in time.

The boy stopped dead in his tracks as he stared at the masked figure in front of him, in complete shock. The shock quickly switched to anger, and then to fury. "What are you doing on my ship?!" he yelled, and a fireball went straight towards Kyoko's head. She widened her eyes, suddenly aware of her disadvantage. She was enclosed space, away from earth, and she was fighting a firebender, that could easily set her on fire.

Besides, she was holding her bag and her dagger, so her hands were full.

"You've stolen from me!" the boy yelled in realization, and two other fire fists attacked her. Okay, she had to think fast.  
She jumped on his bed and then she leaped high in the air, avoiding a fire fist she threw at her head narrowly. Kyoko landed right behind him, and she kicked him in the back before he could bend fire at her again. She closed the door behind her as she ran out on the deck, but to her horror, the soldiers were awaiting her. The ones who could bend fire kicked fire punches at her, while the nonbenders threw daggers and pulled out swords. Okay, she was definitely both outnumbered and outmatched. 

  
Kyoko jumped in the air again, narrowly dodging a flame that went straight for her head. So these people really were merciless. How convenient. The boy from earlier appeared back on deck, yelling to the men to capture her. Kyoko clenched her jaw, tensing as she leaped from their grasp in time. She jumped on the edge of the ship and stopped from jumping as she realized they were long away from the shore. She could jump, but they could firebend at her while she earthbended herself away. And the dawn passed, turning to evening. Kyoko realized just how screwed she was.

What to do, what to do? She could almost hear her mother's voice in her ear. 'Stupid. Never enter a lion's cage without a way out.' She was going to be captured. Was it even wise to bend at them? She could take them by surprise. She gritted her teeth, climbing up the rope towards the deck's pillar, dodging the fireballs. As long as she didn't get burned, she was alright.  
But Kyoko had a thing for speaking too fast.

A fire blast ate at her leg, and she screamed in pain, only to yell out again when she noticed the boy from earlier climbing the rope after her, right at her feet. She kicked him in the chest and continued to climb. A fire blast made her lose her balance, and she fell, merely gripping the rope with one hand. Kyoko placed the bag between her ankles, holding it tight as she continued on the rope using only her arms, her dagger held between her teeth. She quickened her moves when the boy started sending fire her way, his body dangerously close to her. When she finally reached the other side of the ship, she climbed on the steel pillar, until she reached the highest part of the ship.

"Give up." The boy shouted, jumping down next to her. "Give back what you stole, and I might just let you leave." Was it worth risking her life for some gold that wasn't even for her? But she was a Dao Fei - she'd rather die than be at the mercy of others. Especially Fire Nation.

"Fuck off," she said in a man-like voice, and the boy only gritted his teeth at her.

  
"Have it your way." Before Kyoko had the chance to dodge, the boy jumped on her. He punched her in the face so hard she could already taste blood in her mouth and from her nose.

She kicked him in the side, and he punched her in the chest, which hurt like a bitch. She kneeled in pain, hugging her chest, and he kicked her in the back until she couldn't move anymore.  
The boy turned towards the soldiers who finally reached them, and nodded down at what he thought was a boy, taking the bag from her grasp.

  
"Throw him in a cell. I'll interrogate him later." The boy dismissed them with a wave of his hand and climbed back down on the deck as the soldiers carried the boy bellow deck.

  
"Well that was definitely... something." an old man said, wiping his forehead with a cloth. "All this fire thrown made it really hot here." he fanned himself with his free hand.

  
"That fire was thrown to stop that boy." the boy snarled at the man. "That boy stole from me, uncle."

  
"Ah." the man chuckled. "Let's see what he stole, Prince Zuko. Who knows, they might even have refined taste." 

  
The old man took the bag from his nephew's hand and opened it with curiosity. Zuko looked down, his face forming an ugly snarl. "Whatever he stole, it must have been valorous since he risked his life for it." His uncle pulled out the gold coins and handed them to his nephew, who took them with a huff.

Next was a golden compass, and Zuko stared at it with indifference. "Oh look, this is an old compass of mine." the old man chuckled, placing the compass in his pocket. "He does have fine tastes."  
Zuko was going to give a cold remark when his uncle pulled out the last object. It was Zuko's map, with all the marks and destinations.

  
"This was no ordinary thief." Zuko gritted his teeth, grabbing the map from his uncle's hand. "It was planned. He is working for Zhao, trying to stop me from reaching the avatar. A spy! He placed a spy in my ship, to stop me from catching the avatar." Zuko huffed, fire coming out of his nose. "I'm going to interrogate him right away." 

His uncle made a confused face at his nephew. "You've got all that from a map?" he chuckled. "You can't be serious, Prince Zuko."

  
But Zuko wasn't listening, going straight towards the cell, becoming more furious with each step. Iroh stood behind him, sighing to himself. One day, his stubborn nephew would learn to become patient and calm. One day...

Zuko reached the cell in less than a minute, panting as he opened the metal door and closed it behind him, annoyed.

  
The prisoner wasn't as hurt now, even though it's barely been five minutes since Zuko kicked his ass. Blood was pouring slowly from his nose and his mouth, and he was hugging his chest in pain, but he still had his head rose high. "Who sent you here?" Zuko screamed against the bars, trying to intimidate the thief.

  
The thief only looked at him, his lip curled in a smirk. "Poverty."

Zuko gritted his teeth, pulling out the map from his fist. "Did Zhao send you here?" He unrolled the map and opened it so he could see from his spot behind the bars.

  
"Oh, Zhao," he said, in a deep voice. "I know Zhao."

  
Smoke came out of Zuko's ears. "So I was right. You're working for Zhao. You weren't just here to steal, you were trying to sabotage me!" There was a silent moment, and Zuko would've smirked in victory if he wasn't so angry. He definitely didn't expect the thief to laugh at him.

"You think I work for that idiot? You're being ridiculous."

  
It was Zuko's turn to be confused. "But- how do you know him then?" he demanded, trying to keep his anger under control.

  
The boy snorted. "I broke his nose once."

  
Zuko blinked, feeling his head was going to explode. "You- what?"

  
"Yeah." the boy shrugged like it was nothing. "He was being an asshole. If there's something I can't stand, it's men trying to act as if every single woman owes them their attention. Especially from disgusting, egoistical beings like that idiot."

  
"Oh." Zuko felt the anger leave his body. So the boy had some honor. Maybe Zhao was trying to force the boy's girlfriend, or sister, or friend, and the boy got in a fight with the new admiral. Then Zhao threatened the boy, and the boy was reduced to stealing to survive. 'I'm too intelligent for my own good.' Zuko thought to himself.

"Yeah." the boy shrugged. "So, no, I'd rather die than work for that admiral."

  
Zuko flared his nose. "Then you were working for the avatar!"

Another moment of silence, and then the boy laughed again. "Who? Me? The avatar? Your sense of humor is ridiculous."

Zuko punched the bars, snarling as he felt the pain immediately after. "Do not mock me, boy!"

A flash of confusion passed through Kyoko's eyes before she smirked. So this idiot thought she was a boy. She could use it to her advantage. She'll find a way. "I am not mocking you. I am simply stating facts. Damn, are all of you Fire Nationers so angry and hot-headed?"

The prince was losing his temper way too quickly to deal with this insufferable boy. "Are you working for the avatar or not? Were you sabotaging me so it'd keep me from capturing him?"

Kyoko looked at him like he was stupid, but Zuko wasn't unintelligent. The boy was hiding a secret, and he was too curious not to push. "Listen, ponytail, I have no idea what you're talking about. So either you enlighten me, or piss the fuck off." It was almost amusing to further annoy the angry boy, but it wasn't helping her situation. He had the upper hand, and her only advantage to her knowledge was that he thought she was a boy, so he or his men won't try anything, most likely. 

And she loathed being treated like a fragile object just because she wasn't born with a dick between her legs.

  
"The avatar has returned," Zuko said, his voice surprisingly low and calm. "And I must find him and bring him to my father, so I'll restore my honor."

"Your father?" Kyoko arched a brow. Who was his father if it held so much importance?

"Yes, my father." Zuko snarled. "Fire Lord Ozai."

If it was physically possible, Kyoko's jaw would've hit the cold, filthy ground. "What did you just say?" she whispered. She stared at the boy as if he grew another head right in front of her. This was... this was Prince Zuko? The Prince Zuko? The banished son of Fire Lord Ozai? Kyoko wished she could say she was indifferent, but she was terrified. What if... what if Prince Zuko returned to his nation with her in his cell? His father was going to torture her and burn her alive in front of his entire nation. She had to get out of the ship, immediately. Okay, her though, mocking demeanor was over. If she wanted out, she had to play after his rules.

"Look, I never saw the avatar in my entire life. I have no idea what the avatar is even supposed to look like. I stole from this ship because I was desperate for money - my brother, is very sick, and my mother has no money. I was only trying to keep them safe, and no one would hire me. I am just a peasant boy, I can barely afford bread. The map-" Kyoko rose her bandaged hands slowly, pointing at the map with a forced tremble, "the map seemed to be worth some coins. So did the compass. And the gold coins - well, it's pretty obvious." When she saw the prince's expression change, she mentally congratulated herself for her acting skills.

  
"I only stole from your ship because I never saw it in our harbor. I figured," she forced out a cough, the cough of a sick, cold person, "I figured that I could get out in time. No one would even notice. Look, my mother is probably worried sick for me, and my brother," she let out a sob, then covered her mouth as if she was ashamed, "my brother needs these coins. I did whatever I could to save my family. Wouldn't you do the same if you were in my place? Do whatever it takes to keep your family alive?"

Zuko's eyes softened as he stared at the boy, and he fought against his initial judgment. If he had the chance to keep his mother safe, he would've. If his uncle was sick, he would've done whatever it took to make sure Iroh would have whatever he needed. If the boy was honest, then he wasn't a bad person. Not so honorable, but a good person nevertheless. On his many years away from his home, Zuko learned that most of the time, the result overshadowed the actions.

  
To add to the effect, Kyoko started coughing so hard she feared she took it too far, and her throat burned roughly when she finally stopped. "Sorry," she wiped her nose, "perhaps my brother's sickness got to me. Must be the cold ground. He got sick from the cold and the darkness too. We try to keep him as warm and as comfortable as possible, or else his situation would become wor-"  
She was interrupted by her own sneeze. Okay, that was definitely karma, biting her in the ass of lying so casually. But her mother was a Dao Fei, really, what else could Kyoko expect from herself? Honesty was a distasteful swore on her lips. 

Zuko flinched, his eyes widening. "I-" he stopped himself. He was convinced the thief was being honest now. As tough as he wanted to appear, Zuko knew he had his mother's, kind heart. Seeing people suffer like this didn't sit right with him. So he thought against his better judgment. He left the cell with narrowed eyes and stared at the guards watching over the metal door. "Unchain the prisoner and throw him in an empty bedroom, and lock the door." The two guards nodded, and did as they were ordered, while Zuko went back on the deck.

His uncle was already eating, savoring the tasty food. "Did you find the information you were looking for, Prince Zuko?" Iroh asked through a mouthful of rice.

Zuko frowned as he took his place at the table. "He isn't working for Zhao or the avatar."

"Oh?" Iroh said, placing a big bite of fish. "Who is he working for?"

The Prince sighed, rubbing his forehead in distress. "He isn't working for anyone. He stole in order to feed his mother and his sick brother." He stared at the food with a frown. Should he bring the thief some food? No, he already gave him a room. A private room, something, not even his crew had. "I let him stay in a small room. He was sick too, and the cell was damaging his health."

"Very good thinking, nephew." Iroh nodded at his nephew. "You did the right thing." Iroh looked at his nephew with a kind smile, happy that Prince Zuko finally acted like the prince he used to be before his banishment. "Do you think he'd like some tea?" Iroh wondered. Zuko rolled his eyes, knowing this was typical of his uncle.

Unknown to both of them, on the other side of the ship, Kyoko was planning her escape, barely awaiting to arrive next to earth.   
As long as she had earth under her feet, she was unstoppable.


	2. The Kyoshi Island

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kyoko escapes the ship while the prince and the soldiers attack the avatar, however, she is brought back after helping the avatar and his friends escape.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I recommend listening to the songs while reading. It passes the vibe check :)

<https://open.spotify.com/track/37mfTcSlX60JtAvAETytGs?si=RTcIN8PfRjG08ZBoJ59XXw>

_'If I could burn this town_  
I wouldn't hesitate  
To smile while you suffocate and die'

Kyoko had plenty of time to herself, locked in the small room. Not that she minded, at all. Everything was better than that dark, cold cell. She had plenty of memories of the cell she was chained in when she was younger when her mother's plans didn't succeed. The children were always easy to catch and bargain for. And even though her mother and her people always came back, the nightmares and the scars remained.

Kyoko hugged her knees, waiting for the ship to be anchored. She loved the sea, she sailed many times, with pirates or by herself. Still, she preferred the ground under her feet. 

It was dawn when the ship finally stopped in a harbor. Kyoko wanted to see for herself, but the room she was locked in had no window. 

Soon, she found out she didn't have to wait long.

The door opened with a loud thud, and the boy, the _prince_ , came in. 

"We are harbored. You will remain here until I figure out what to do with you.

_You could let me go, you cretin._

"Let me go. I won't steal anything on my way out, don't worry." 

Prince Zuko stepped closer to the girl in disguise but stopped as he finally got a better look at her, no longer hidden in the cell's shadows. 

"You have pretty eyes," Zuko spoke before he could stop himself, and then he blushed. Who says that to a prisoner? But he couldn't stop himself - the boy's bright, emerald eyes, were simply the prettiest eyes he'd ever seen. Perhaps it was the way they shined in the candlelight, or how different they were from the normal amber and light brown ones he saw everywhere in the Fire Nation. 

Zuko hid his blush with a cough and narrowed his eyes at the boy. "For a thief," he added and looked away - with difficulty - as the boy gave him an unimpressed look. He must have been used to hearing about their eyes by now. 

"Tell me your name," Zuko demanded and glared as he saw the boy roll his pretty yes. 

"What use could you possibly have with my name?" 

It was Zuko's turn to roll his eyes. Perhaps he'd been too kind with the ungrateful brat that couldn't behave for a second. But then again, what more could he possibly expect from an uneducated peasant?

"Tell me your name!" Zuko said louder and less calm. 

Kyoko thought against her better judgment. It wasn't like she was going to ever see the prince again after she ran away. Besides, he thought she was a boy and there many people named after her. She was proud of her name, and she didn't want to make one up.

"Kyoko."

Zuko furrowed his eyebrows at the girl. "That's not boyish."

Kyoko rolled her eyes. "Neither is your face." She sensed the anger multiplying in the prince, and quickly changed the subject. "I asked you to let me go."

"Are you a bender?" Zuko asked, taking a step closer.

Kyoko glared at him, absolutely outraged that the prince was intentionally ignoring her demands.

"What?" she snarled. "Why are ignoring me? I want out of this ship."

"Are you a bender?" Zuko said, angrier this time. Kyoko gritted her teeth at him, losing her patience. 

"No. I am not a bender. If I was, I might have been able to earn some money." 

Zuko widened his eyes, embarrassed that he even brought it back. But he was curious. Such green eyes screamed 'I am a bender', and he only wanted to check if his assumption was right. There was, of course, the chance that the boy was lying, but what could he possibly earn out of that? And besides, he wasn't wearing any shoes, like a few benders he saw a few times. Zuko didn't mention that, however. He was expecting the obvious 'I can't afford any' answer, and he was too embarrassed for that.

"I will consider letting you go. I am not supposed to, considering you're a thief. But I will ponder it." He sighed, walking back towards the door. 

"Wait, Prince Zuko." Kyoko stood up from the hard bed. Zuko turned around, in surprise. Kyoko quickly realized what and held back from facepalming herself. She almost gave herself up, her voice sounding like usual instead of the deep, rough voice she used around Zuko. She quickly pulled it aside, hoping he would ignore it as well.

"May I get something to eat? I haven't eaten anything in days. Just some bread would be fine."

Zuko looked back at her, and she held her breath, worried that he was suspicious. In all honesty, she was hungry.

Finally, he huffed, turning towards the door. "I'll send a guard with food for you," he said before he closed and locked the door behind him.

Good. She was starving and wanted nothing more than to run away from the ship. She'd be willing to kiss the ground if she had to. 

Five minutes later, the door opened, and a guard walked in, carrying a trail. He left it next to the door and turned around.

"Excuse me, sir," Kyoko asked, "but may you tell me where are we?" 

The man stopped, turning around with an annoyed look on his face. Kyoko quickly took off the scarf from her head, revealing her braided hair that somehow made her even prettier, and implied quite obviously she was a girl.

The man's cheeks turned red. "Kyoshi Island, miss." 

Spirits, sometimes it was too easy.

"Is Prince Zuko on the ship?"

"No," the man answered without a second thought. "He left a few minutes ago."

"Oh," Kyoko answered in her softest voice, taking out her scarf completely, and fanning herself. "It's so hot in here. Are you sure Prince Zuko already left? He told me I could go out when we anchored the ship."

The man's eyes widened as she stood up, walking slowly towards the man.

"D-did he?"

"Yes." Kyoko looked down, tears forming in her eyes. "I was so excited when he told me, I could have kissed him right away. I cannot believe he forgot."

She almost smirked when the man's cheeks turned red when she mentioned the word kiss. She had him right under her paw.

"Oh," she pretended to be weak in the knees, leaning into the man, "I feel so faint. The lack of sun and fresh air is making me feel so dizzy. I'd do anything for some fresh air right now. _Anything_."

The man cleared his throat, blushing as he looked straight into her emerald eyes. 

"I could assist you outside on the deck. For a minute."

Kyoko's eyes widened, a smile appearing on her plum eyes. "You will? Oh, that's kind of you, _sir_." She spoke in his ear, leaning in closer.

"Y-yes, of course. Since Prince Zuko allows it."

"He does." She trailed her hand slowly on his chest, the smile never leaving her lips. "Perhaps he was expecting you to come here for me. To test his guards' kind, _golden_ hearts."

The man gulped, nodding nervously as he fixed his eyes on her hand on his armor covered chest.

"Do you mind if I take some of the food with me? It'd be a shame not to have a picnic outside on such a beautiful, sunny day." 

The man nodded, sweat appearing on the corner of her forehead. "You're right. I'll bring some food of my own. Wait here."

"Of course." Kyoko smiled brightly, clapping her hands in fake excitement. "Oh, you made me so happy, sir," she said dreamily. 

The man gave her back a smile before he rushed towards the dining room.

The smile on Kyoko's faced faded. "Idiot." She smirked. He didn't even lock the door. It was so easy, she almost laughed.

She wrapped the fresh bread and nuts in the napkin on the tray and attached the water flask to her belt before she took off, running the opposite way she saw the guard head to.

Kyoko arrived on deck in a short time, and to her satisfaction, the deck was empty, all the capable guards having left with Prince Zuko. Probably after the avatar, she shrugged. 

She jumped from the deck straight on the ground, and she let out a satisfied laugh. She was no longer trapped - Zuko and all of his guards could attack her for all she cared. Now that she was in her element, she'd win, no doubt. 

She took off, heading towards the eye of the island. If all went well, she could hide here for a few weeks, until Geming's threat went away.

"Stop right there!" She heard, and her heartbeat fast.

She recognized the people easily, as the Kyoshi Warriors. She heard about them from her mother's stories. For what was worth, if the Kyoshi Warriors knew whose daughter Kyoko was, she'd be in deep shit.

Kyoko rose her hands up, not wanting to start a fight.

"Who are you and why are you here?" 

Kyoko's heart beat fast. There was no time for made-up stories. She could feel the guards searching for her. "My name is Kyo. I arrived here unintentionally."

The one in the middle, the leader, narrowed her eyes at the girl. "We saw you come from that ship," she pointed to Prince Zuko's ship. "These people are attacking our village."

Kyoko glared at the thought of the prince. What else would she expect from the Fire Nation? Bringing war and destruction was what they were best at.

"I was a prisoner on their ship, and I finally managed to ran away." she stepped forward, a determined look on her eyes. If Zuko and his people thought they could come to the Earth Kingdom and burn down villages and people, he was a fool.

"I will help you defeat him. Consider it... revenge."

The Kyoshi Warriors shared a look before the leader nodded. "Fine. But one wrong step, and you're a goner!"

Kyoko nodded. She eyed their weapons with narrowed eyes. "Have a spare pair? They improve my fighting skills. I lost mine." Lost wasn't exactly what happened. She sold them, for a few coins that earned her four days at an inn and hot meals every night as well. 

The leader seemed to hesitate before she slowly took out two more fans she had attached to her belt in the backside, in case she lost or damaged the ones she was already using.

"I want them back after."

Kyoko nodded, and with that, she left with the three girls, hurrying towards the firebenders who were fighting the other Kyoshi Warriors. 

Kyoko opened her fans with a swift of her wrists, and a smirk appeared on her face as she got to feel the familiarity of them again. Her old fans were, in fact, stolen by her mother from the former Kyoshi Warrior's leader. The fans survived the fight. The warrior... not so much. 

When Kyoko joined the fight, it felt like being trapped on a battlefield. Flames danced around her, and she dodged and blocked as many as possible. She moved with her fans around her body as if they were the same. It helped her bend better, faster, more efficiently. Unlike her brother, Kyoko had trouble bending small amounts of the earth on her own. Her powers were raw and unedged, and she never succeeded to tame herself to fight to her full capabilities. 

The fans helped her concentrate, balancing her powers where she needed them. Right now she needed them to bend small rocks that hit the soldiers like bullets. Soon enough, there were barely five soldiers standing, from the twenty-something that was before. 

"Wow." she heard a voice behind her, and she turned to see a Kyoshi Warrior. A boy. "I've never seen earthbending before, in my entire life."

Kyoko gave him a curious look as she continued to kick and send rocks at the firebenders. "Seriously?"

The boy blushed in embarrassment. "Yeah. I never left the Water Tribes before."

So, a water tribe boy. Kyoko didn't meet many water tribe people before, other than Kanna, her mother's girlfriend.

"Uh, well, welcome to the Earth Kingdom." Kyoko awkwardly replied.

They turned their heads towards two people fighting near a fountain, and they rushed there. 

"Suki!" the water tribe boy rushed towards the Kyoshi Warriors' leader, leaving Kyoko on her own.

"Thanks a lot." she gritted her teeth.

She spotted Zuko and a little boy fighting, and she quickly shifted the ground under their feet, blocking Zuko.

The boy turned towards her, and Kyoko widened her eyes as she saw the arrows on the boy's head and hands.

"You're the avatar." the girl gasped.

The boy simply gave her a toothy grin, and Kyoko already could tell he was a little, happy, cheerful kid. 

"Yes!" he smiled. "Nice moves. I'm Aang."

Kyoko nodded, not able to hide a smile of her own. Must have been the kid's effect. 

"I'm Kyoko." she introduced herself, only to hear a gasp from the prince.

He was watching her in complete surprise, not expecting to see her here, or even to see a _her._

"You're an earthbender!" he said in shock. He eyed her exposed face and body and gritted his teeth, smoke coming out of his nostrils. "And a girl! You lied to me!" 

Kyoko simply shrugged. "I didn't owe you the truth." 

The prince stared, his anger growing by the second, and Kyoko took in a fighting stance, tightening her grip over her fans. 

"Go," she told the avatar. "I'll hold him off."

Aang looked at her in confusion. He's never seen this girl before, yet here she was, risking her life to defend someone she didn't even know was the avatar until after she protected him. It was the kind of sacrifice the avatar was supposed to make, not an innocent person trying to protect him. It was _his_ duty as the avatar to defend and protect people. And look how good he was at it, what with the burning island and the terrified citizens.

"No. It's my fight." Aang said, holding his glider tightly in his hands.

Kyoko was going to respond, to throw a remark or to simply say she didn't care, but a burn in her leg stopped her from further speaking, stealing a scream instead.

She turned around sharply to see the man she used to free herself from the ship, no longer having the foolish and weak air around him.

"You are going down!" he shouted, sending another fireball towards the girl. Kyoko dodged them, growing angry as the burn in her leg rushed her adrenaline and survivor instincts. 

She kicked the ground hard with her good leg, kicking the man off the ground so high, he remained hanging on a tree branch as gravity pulled him back.

"That was dope!" Aang clapped for her as he dodged another attack. "Come on, let's flee." 

Before she could protest, Aang was already flying them to a safe corner, where a water tribe girl was waiting, worriedly.

"Get inside!" she shouted, pulling Aang into a house, while he pulled Kyoko after him.

The water tribe girl said nothing as she eyed Kyoko, too worried about the village and the people.

Aang looked out of the window, sorrowfully. He wanted nothing more than to help the people and get rid of the firebenders, who finally recovered from their fight with Kyoko, and started burning everything around in search of revenge.

"Look what I brought to this place." 

The water tribe girl looked down at the boy with a sad look and placed her hand on his shoulder to offer her support. "Aang, it's not your fault."

This only seemed to bring the boy down even more. "Yes, it is. These people got their town destroyed trying to protect me."

The water tribe girl looked out of the window, feeling the hope leave her as she stared at the destroyed village. "Then let's get out of here. Zuko will leave Kyoshi to follow us. I know it feels wrong to run, but I think it's the only way."

Aang nodded sadly. "I'll call Appa."

Kyoko placed her hand on the avatar's shoulder, giving him a short nod. "I'll go try to hold them down meanwhile, to buy you time."

Aang shook his head, looking up at the girl that for whatever reason made him feel safe. He had no idea why, but there was something about her... even though they have just met, she seemed like the type of person whom he could trust. 

He opened his mouth to deny, wanting her to stay inside where it was safe, but she already made up her mind. "Take care, Avatar Aang." Kyoko looked up at the girl and gave her a short nod. "You as well. Now go!" 

Katara and Aang stared after her as she rushed out of the house, unfolding her fans as if they were the deadliest weapons in the world. And well, in her hands, it sure seemed like it.

Katara watched her out of the window for a second more, feeling her cheeks grow red for a reason she couldn't identify yet. 

"Who... who was that?"

The question only seemed to bring Aang down more.

"Kyoko. Another person who protected me when I was supposed to protect her."

Kyoko kicked the ground off under the legs of several firebenders, while Aang and the water tribe girl reached their bison. She saw the water tribe boy dressed as a Kyoshi Warrior rush towards them, waving at her as he passed her. 

"Hope we'll meet again!" he shouted as he climbed up on the sky bison.

Zuko stared angrily after the sky bison, shouting at his men without turning to see them. "Back to the ship! Don't lose sight of them!"

When he didn't hear anyone, he turned around sharply, only to stare in horror as he saw his men groaning in pain on the ground, Kyoko standing victoriously above them.

"You again!" he spat, kicking flames straight at her head.

Kyoko jumped out of the way with a smirk. "Missed me?"

The prince replied by sending a kick at her side, which she blocked with her fans before she gripped his leg with one arm, making him lose his balance. As he fell on his stomach, his other leg curled around hers, and he turned around on the ground just in time to have Kyoko fall on top of him with a buff.

The impact caused them both to groan out in pain before they looked up to meet each other's eyes with ugly snarls.

His amber eyes pierced right into her emerald ones, and she wanted nothing more at that moment than to kick him in his perfect little face. Well, perfect if you didn't include the scar on his left side of the face.

"Get off me!" he yelled, ready to burn her hands on either side of him, but he quickly ate back his words when he saw the giant unagi, rode by the avatar, throwing up water all over the burning village, taming down the flames.

Unfortunately, the water was headed aggressively towards them as well, and with quick thinking, Kyoko bended a wall of earth around herself, and unintentionally Zuko as well, saving themselves from drowning in the flood of water.

"Ugh." she groaned tiredly, feeling the energy leave her body. As soon as her face touched something warm, her eyes widened the size of onions as she realized just _what_ she rested her head against.

She quickly pulled away, frozen as she saw Zuko blushing under her, clearly not prepared to have Kyoko's face against his own like that. Nor was he prepared for her hands against his chest, or her legs wrapped around his own. Kyoko squealed as she stood up, only to realize that she was surrounded. All the firebenders were back on their feet, soaking wet, staring angrily at the girl who was clearly too tired to fight properly anymore.

She rested against the earth wall, yawning tiredly. Kyoko held two fingers to her head, saluting the firebenders nervously. "Sup?" 

The men only groaned, clearly pissed off to having been beaten by a girl half their size, starved and out of shape.

She barely fought when one of them grabbed her hands, and pushed her towards the ship, with the prince glaring at her back, aggressively trying to hide the blush she got out of him so easily.

"Damn," Kyoko yawned again, "I hope I get a room with a window this time."


	3. Greetings and Tea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zuko finds out Kyoko has a violent past, and the girl shares tea and wisdom with Iroh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I forgot to specify the age of the characters, so here it is:  
> Kyoko : 18 at the beginning of the book  
> Zuko : 18 at the beginning of the book  
> Sokka : 18  
> Azula and Katara : 17  
> Aang and Toph : 15  
> Mai : 19  
> Ty Lee : 17  
> Jianyu (Kyoko's brother) : 22

<https://open.spotify.com/track/5JqZ3oqF00jkT81foAFvqg?si=U6RKdJ1CRES_Guvxd0BbHA>

_'You keep making it harder to stay_  
But I still can't **run away**  
I gotta know, why can't you, why can't you just let me go?'

The room didn't have a window, nor was it, in fact, a room.

Kyoko was beyond disappointed to find herself back in the cold, dark cell.

She avoided Zuko's furious expression as he stared at her through the bars as if he wanted to grab her by the throat and strangle her. And judging by his biceps, Kyoko was sure he could do it.

"You better give me an explanation, and quickly." He snarled, eyes narrowed with anger. "No lies this time! If I find out you're lying again, I will throw you overboard."

Kyoko only leaned her back against the wall, annoyed by his attitude. 

"Look, princess, I stole some gold for personal reasons. You caught me, and that's on me. No hard feelings, seriously." Kyoko clicked her tongue, slowly untangling her long braid. "You could've let me go at Kyoshi Island, yet you chose to imprison me again, without a reason." She trailed a hand through her thick, black hair, and yawned. "You obviously can't keep me away, so now you're stuck with me on your ship. But here's the deal."

Kyoko stepped closer to the bars, gripping them right next to Zuko's hands, and he glared at her as she leaned her upper body against the bars until he could feel her body warmth. "I am tired and I am hungry, and this cell makes me depressed. Now, you can let me have a room to myself, bathroom and window included, or I would make my time on your ship hell for both you and your crew. It's your choice."

Kyoko smirked against the bars, her emerald eyes shining despite the darkness of the cold, lonely cell. Zuko's eyes narrowed hard until they became two thin lines, taking her in as if she were the scum of the Earth.

"I already showed you mercy, and you repaid me by lying and taking advantage of my kindness." He stepped away from the bars, his eyebrows knitting together as he carefully thought his next words. "I would hand you over to Zhao as soon as we cross paths again."

All the smugness and confidence left Kyoko's body language at his words, something Zuko took notice of. He also took notice of the wideness of her eyes, and the tremble on her hands. He wasn't inhuman - you had to be blind not to notice how much discomfort the mention of the admiral's name brought the thief - but if this was the only way to make the thief talk, and be _honest_ , he wasn't going to kick this opportunity away.

"What's wrong? I thought you and Zhao were already acquainted with one another. Consider this my final push of mercy to you."

Zuko turned towards the metal door with a smirk on his lips, his steps small as felt the panic rise in Kyoko's body. He had no idea what was true and what was false from what Kyoko has told him. He almost felt bad that he mentioned Zhao like that when the girl seemed to grow so nervous, and he remembered the story she hinted at the day before, of how Zhao must have made some advances on her or someone close to her. But just as he turned around to apologize for mentioning the hateful man, Kyoko let out a sigh, looking up at him through long eyelashes, her grip on the bars weakening.

"I'd rather die than return in his grip."

Zuko couldn't really recall other times when he felt as much of an asshole and an idiot as he did at that moment. Yes, he could say he hated the thief, but her body language, her tremble, and her sudden change of attitude at the mention of the man brought a strange sorrowful feeling around him as if he could feel her grief on his own. 

"Why is that?" Zuko said, taking a step closer to the bars. He wanted to show the least amount of empathy, but his voice came in a faint, soft tone, foreign to his ears.

Kyoko let her hands fall by her sides, her eyes closing as she steadied her breath. "He's a monster," was all she could bring herself to say. 'Monster' was far, far from being the term she'd describe Zhao, but her mind was blank and dizzy at the image of the smirking man in her head.

"If you bring me to Zhao, I'd kill myself in this cell before you have the chance to mention my name to him." 

Zuko felt a shiver run down his spine as her words echoed in his mind. "I was only trying to make you speak." He went on, justifying himself. "I would never allow Zhao on this ship, nor would I send you to him. I hate him and he hates me, and I am terribly sorry for what he did to you, even if I don't possess your knowledge of his actions." Zuko remained silent for a moment, studying the woman before him.

In the dark of the cell, all he could see were her bright eyes, staring at him vivid of any happiness. In the dark of the cell, Zuko couldn't help but see the shadow over her as if it were his own. They were alike, with terrible pasts and vivid scars, nightmares, and lifeless eyes. Perhaps it was the way she became still, the smugness and her confidence long forgotten as she seemed to think of a memory with shaky breaths and a tensed up body. But no matter what influenced him at that moment, he made up his mind.

"You can stay in the previous room." He almost smiled as she rose her head to see him better, her eyes lighting up. "No window, though." He specified, stopping himself from chuckling. The prince opened the cell, and she walked willingly alongside him, out of the cold cell that brought so many nightmares to the girl.

It took two minutes to arrive in front of the small room. Zuko cleared his throat, taking out the key from his pocket. Kyoko stared at him for a moment, before she rose her hands for him to unchain. 

"Thank you, Prince Zuko." She said, once her hands were free. He nodded at her, clearly feeling awkward. "You showed me more kindness than all of the strangers I met, combined." She opened the door, giving him a small smile, so foreign on her lips. "I won't forget this."

With that, she closed the door in his face, locking it as she tried to calm her fast-beating heart. The prince showed her the bare minimum of kindness, but it was heaven compared to what her other captors have done to her.

It was times like this Kyoko wished more than anything that she wasn't born to a gang of outlaws. That her mother could've been a normal, honest, and kind-hearted person who loved her children more than she loved breaking the law. It was exactly why she left her mother and the other Dao Fei in the first place. She hoped for a new, fresh start, but the way she grew up stopped the girl from having a much different life than the one she already had back when she was part of the gang. And that was how she ended up in Zhao's grip, not even a week after she ran away from home, a year ago.

She figured she could at least get some sleep and rest before the prince would throw her away as soon as they arrived in the new harbor, or hand her over to other guards. But if she rested, she'd be strong enough to run away once they reached land. 

She entered the small bathroom next to one of the room's corners and entered it dizzily. Kyoko was sure she looked like hell, not having taken a bath in a week. She was sweaty and smelled bad, and her body was weak from her effort on Kyoshi Island. No wonder the prince looked at her that way, she must have looked like a homeless, filthy peasant. Which she actually was.

After using the toilet, Kyoko sat on the bed, untying the napkin with bread and nuts from her belt. She ate slowly, taking a sip of water now and then to trick her stomach into feeling full, despite the usual hunger that made her nauseous. 

She saved some of the bread for later and laid in the bed, the darkness of the room proving itself efficient into making her doze off instantly. 

Kyoko dreamed of her childhood, at the age of twelve, when she and her brother were trapped in the prison of the Beifong family. It was the first time they were showed kindness from someone else but the people in their mother's gang. The Beifong's daughter, Toph, was the one who freed them at midnight. She was also the person who taught Kyoko Seismic Sense, and not one day passed that Kyoko didn't feel grateful to the blind but powerful girl, who was a bandit just like Kyoko and Jiansyu, but secretly. 

A knock on the door woke Kyoko from her slumber, and she rubbed at her eyes before she opened the door, ignoring her headache.

An elder man stood before the door, holding a tray with a teapot and two cups, and a smile that reached his eyes.

"Good morning." he greeted.

Kyoko rubbed her eyes again, yawning loudly. "It's morning already?"

The man chuckled, nodding at the girl. "I'm afraid so." He looked down at his tray, then back at her. "Would you mind to share some morning tea with an old man?"

Was that poison? Kyoko couldn't imagine why else someone would try to show her attention and kindness. Even if this man seemed genuine in his offer.

"I dislike tea." She replied, her voice rough at the edge.

The old man chuckled again, amused by her remark. "Nonsense. Tea is simply the best thing we humans could enjoy." He hummed to himself, thinking for a second. "That and hot baths, of course."

Kyoko stared sternly at the man, not figuring out why he would waste his time to speak with a bandit as if they were old friends. "I haven't had a hot bath in years, so I wouldn't know."

The man seemed to be shocked by her statement as if he couldn't imagine how someone could survive without hot baths and tea for more than a week. Fucking rich, privileged people, Kyoko narrowed her eyes.

"Well, then you could have a hot, cozy bath after we drink some morning tea." The man insisted. 

Kyoko narrowed her eyes until they formed two thin lines. "I doubt I have time for... any of that. The prince would throw me to the guard as soon as the ship hits land."

The man chuckled again. "You'd think that."

Kyoko took a deep breath, feeling more annoyed with the man by each passing minute. "What do you mean, old man?"

The man looked down at his tray again and then he peered inside the darkroom with an expectant look. "May I come in?"

Kyoko pinched the top of her nose in exasperation. She was sure that if she were a firebender, smoke would come out of her ears and nose.

"You might as well come in. It's not like I have anything better to do, anyway." 

The old man chuckled again, to Kyoko's annoyance. He placed the tray on the ground next to the bed and looked around. "What a poorly lit room."

Kyoko rolled her eyes, closing the door behind her as she took the seat next to the man and her bed. "Not my fault it doesn't have a window."

The man caressed his beard before he rose his hand and lit the candles around the room with a flicker of his wrists. "Not everyone gets a window, but those who don't are still firebenders who can lit candles. I will have a word with my nephew about this."

Kyoko shrugged, watching the man pour tea in the cups. "Why bother?" She took the cup from his hands, flinching at the burning sensation it left on her hands. "I'd probably be in prison in a few hours."

The man blew in his cup, before he rose his kind, amber eyes to stare at her. "I doubt it." He placed down his cup, not taking his eyes off her. "While you were sleeping, we harbored next to a prison for earthbenders, where the avatar and his friends have freed the innocent prisoners just a few hours ago."

Kyoko remained silent for a moment, pondering his words. "I've heard about this prison." She truly did. Her ex-girlfriend, Min, was captured by the warden, and she spent a month there before Kyoko and Jianyu helped her and the few men imprisoned out of there. It seemed that the Fire Nation wasn't going to stop tormenting those different than themselves. "I'm glad the avatar and his friends helped those people out. They didn't deserve to be imprisoned for their natural powers."

Kyoko eyed the man with a challenging look. It was clear to both of them why: He was a firebender, she was an earthbender. 

"I agree." The man nodded, with an honest look in his eyes. "I am not very happy with what my nation is capable of most of the time. Let's drink this tea in honor of the freed people."

Kyoko really wished there was a way to detect if the man was lying. He seemed honest, and that was suspicious. Wasn't the prince he was working for trying to capture the avatar? She hated feeling so confused.

"Am I going to be handed over to these guards?" She asked, narrowing her eyes.

The man simply chuckled again, taking the cup in his hands and taking a loud sip. "Ah, ginseng tea. My favorite." He stared at her and nodded encouragingly. "You should drink it before it cools off."

Kyoko was trying her best to keep her anger issues under control. She didn't care for tea, she wanted answers, and she wanted them right that second. 

"Am I to be handed over to the guards or not?!" she said, less calmly than she intended. 

The man didn't seem to be fazed by her tone, as if he was already used to teenagers yelling. "I doubt that's likely. We already sailed the ship two hours ago. Surprisingly, my nephew, Prince Zuko, seemed to have forgotten there is an earthbender locked on his ship." His eyes flickered, a smile appearing on his lips. "Or maybe he didn't forget, and that's exactly why we sailed instead of spending more time in the harbor. Who knows?"

Kyoko's jaw must have hit the ground in her surprise. The prince had the perfect opportunity to get rid of her, yet he chose to let her sleep peacefully as if she weren't even a bandit on his ship. If he handed her over to those guards, she couldn't have brought herself to hate him personally for it. After all, she was the bandit that sneaked on his ship to steal, then lied and attacked his men and stopped him from capturing the avatar. If places were switched, she would have him killed, not offer to unchain him and provide a warm bed in a private room for him to sleep in. 

Maybe she did in fact abuse his kindness. And now he chose not to hand her over to the guards, and she couldn't help but wonder, why? Why would he do that? Was he waiting to go back to his nation to get rid of her publically? But why would he? The prince had no idea who she was or who her mother was, so why waste so much effort for someone that, to his knowledge, but just a mediocre, pathetic thief?

And this man was his uncle? That meant this old, cheery man, was the once-great general Iroh, who almost took over Ba Sing Se if it weren't for his son to be killed during the battle. 

"You are General Iroh." she acknowledged, her eyes wide. The man simply nodded, as if the title was meaningless to him.

"You could call me that, but just Iroh is fine." He arched an eyebrow, smiling as she finally took a sip from the tea, only to grimace at the unfamiliar taste. It would take time to get to love tea as much as he did, but there was a start for everything. "And what should I call you, little lady?"

Kyoko snorted, amused by the fact that he called her a 'lady'. She was far from looking or acting like one, anyway. "My name is Kyoko."

Iroh nodded, siping his tea. "A pretty name for a pretty lady."

If these words came from anyone different, Kyoko would've felt uncomfortable. But somehow, the old man made her smile, actually making her feel like she too could be pretty. 

"Thanks. I am usually just called Kyo."

Iroh hummed in response. "Of course." He chuckled as she grimaced again at the taste of the ginseng tea. "How are you liking the tea?"

Kyoko place down the cup, away from her. "I am not used to it. Perhaps it's just not for me."

Iroh chuckled again, patting his belly. "Tea is my greatest pleasure in this world. Perhaps ginseng it's not your taste. We could try jasmine next."

Kyoko looked at him quizzically. "You want to have tea with me again?"

"Of course, as long as you enjoy my company. I surely enjoy yours. You seem to have many stories attached to your name, and I cannot help but be intrigued. It's not every day that a lady dresses as a boy and steals gold from your ship."

When he saw Kyoko tensing on her spot, he waved it off with his hand. "Not that I am judging, of course. In fact, I mind it amusing that it took my nephew that long to figure it out. Your disguise was brilliant, but I could see your braid after you fought my nephew."

Kyoko widened her eyes, surprised for what seemed to be the tenth time in the last fifteen minutes. "You knew? But... why didn't you say anything?"

Iroh simply sipped his tea. "It's not my place to reveal other people's secrets." He winked at her, and Kyoko couldn't help but feel as if there was more to his words than he let on. Could he...? No, there was no way he knew her identity. Her tattoos were covered with black bandages that blended with her dark skin, and the piercings she wore in her nose and ears were hidden in a bag inside her jacket's pocket.

"Thank you, then," Kyoko said, and Iroh simply nodded at the girl. 

They enjoyed the next half an hour together when Iroh stood up from his seat. "I believe we have stopped the ship. Judging by the time it took us to get here, I'd say we have anchored next to a beach. Would you like to join me to a hot spring, Kyo?"

Surprisingly, Kyoko really wanted to join him, not only because she wanted some fresh air and sunlight, but because she enjoyed the man's company, a lot. 

"I'd like that, Iroh." She smiled, standing up to meet his kind eyes. "I'd like that a lot."


	4. What kind of earthbender are you?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Iroh is kidnapped by a bunch of earthbender soldiers, and Zuko needs Kyoko's help to find him.

<https://open.spotify.com/track/6QgjcU0zLnzq5OrUoSZ3OK?si=_CETRJGeRgaQpj1NVMsZ2w>

_'I'm a rebel just for kicks, yeah_  
Your love is an abyss for my heart to eclipse, now  
Might be over now, but I feel it still'

"Don't you think the weather is perfect, Kyo?" Iroh asked, letting out a satisfied sound as he floated on his back in the spring he previously warmed with his firebending.

Kyo couldn't remember the last time she was so relaxed. It sure did feel nice to forget about hunger and poverty and simply relax in a hot spring. 

"Indeed," she replied, sinking her head in the water. She chuckled as she recalled the surprised looks she received from the crew as she and Iroh left the ship to go towards the hot spring. Zuko was still in his room, and no one dared question the great Dragon of the West. 

But Kyoko was sure they ran to tell Zuko about it, and he surely wouldn't be happy about it. But she couldn't care less about the prince. She could run now if she wanted, she knew Iroh wouldn't try to stop her. But first, she wanted her bath. She desperately needed it.

It was all peaceful and calm until an angry Prince stumbled their way.

"Uncle! It's time to leave! Where are you? Uncle Iroh!"

Kyoko wanted to give Iroh a 'Don't you dare tell him' look, but before she got the chance, Iroh already waved at his nephew. 

"Over here!" Iroh called, and Kyoko sunk her head underwater when the Prince turned to face them.

Zuko walked angrily towards his uncle, huffing on the way like a spoiled brat. Not that he wasn't one. 

"Uncle? We need to move on. We're closing in on the Avatar's trail and I don't want to lose him." Zuko looked around the place, spotting his uncle's clothes on a tree next to the spring. Next to his uncle clothes, was a jacket, green turtleneck, and black pants. 

Zuko looked back at his uncle, who whistled, looking away as he was found guilty. "So it's true. My crew told me you left with the bandit girl. Where is she anyway? You let her go?"

Just then, Kyoko's head emerged from underwater, unable to keep her breath any longer.

"I'm right here." She replied, looking straight into Zuko's amber eyes.

Zuko stared at her with a harsh glare. "You're supposed to be locked in your room!" He snarled, smoke coming out of his mouth.

Kyoko rolled her eyes, and stood up on her legs, exposing herself to the prince. She only had a grey wrapping around her breasts and her black undergarments covering her lower body.

Zuko widened his eyes as he took her in, unable to stop looking. Her long, wavy locks fell around her shoulders and down to her _very_ toned stomach, falling in a V down to a place foreign to anyone but herself. The water dripped down her hair to her hips, and Zuko blushed as he found himself checking her out, not so subtly. He forced himself to look up at her, but his voice was caught in his throat as he spotted the muscles visible on her arms. He never found muscles so attractive before, so why was he so captivated by her body so much?

He decided it was because he hasn't done _it_ in over two months. That had to be the reason why.

Zuko finally found her eyes, her bright, breathtaking eyes, which seemed to glow like crystals under the sunlight. He cleared his throat as she arched her eyebrows at him, placing her hands on her hips in a quizzical look, which only made her muscles flex more, to his frustration. 

His uncle gave him an amused look but remained silent as he looked from one teen to another.

"Your uncle invited me here after our morning tea." She informed the prince, giving him a challenging look. "I figured since you seemed so eager to have me on your ship, you won't mind if It took some fresh air and a hot bath. Unless you'd rather have me chained up in _your_ room," she smirked as he scoffed at her, but looked away from her timidly. 

"No. You will return to your room, _now_. You had your bath, now get out of the water."

Kyoko hissed in response, crossing her bandage covered hands over her chest. "Fine."

She stepped out of the water, making sure to bump her shoulder into his in the process. She hissed again when she stepped on the sand. If there was something she hated, it was sand. One time, she was chased by a group of firebenders, and she almost lost the fight since they were surrounded by sand. Kyoko had a great struggle bending small amounts of earth and stones. The sand was simply impossible. If her brother wasn't around to save her, her ass would've been thrown in jail, _again._

She could run, but she knew she'd lose the fight. She couldn't bend here, while Zuko's powers were pretty strong considering the bright and hot sun above them.

 _Fucking sand._ Kyoko scoffed.

She got dressed, continuing to glare at Zuko's head. 

"You look tired, Prince Zuko. Why don't you join me in these hot springs and soak away your troubles?" Iroh offered, winking at Kyoko over Zuko's shoulder.

"My troubles cannot be soaked away. It's time to go!" Zuko glared at his uncle, losing his patience. 

"You should take your teacher's advice and relax a little. The temperature's just right. I heated it myself." Iroh breathed steam through his nose. "Get in and let Kyoko continue her bath."

Zuko looked back at Kyoko with an ugly snarl, as if the sight of her was offending to him. Kyoko simply rolled her eyes, prompting her back against the tree.

"Enough! We need to leave now. Get out of the water!"

Iroh sighed in disappointment. "Very well."

He stood up from the water, revealing himself. Zuko covered his eyes with his hand in disgust, and Kyoko couldn't help but laugh at the prince's reaction. It was definitely different from the reaction he had when _she_ stepped out of the water.

"On second thought, why don't you take another few minutes? But be back at the ship in a half-hour or I'm leaving without you!" Zuko warned, turning around to face Kyoko as Iroh sighed and slumped back in the water. 

"But _you_ are coming back to the ship with me." He grabbed her hand and pulled her after him.

"But why? What need do you have of me?" Kyoko gritted her teeth at the prince. "You could've handed me over to the warden earlier, but you didn't. So why waste both of our times, dragging me around the sea?"

Zuko scoffed. "Uncle told you about that?" He rolled his eyes, feeling his anger grow again. "Of course he did."

They stepped inside the ship, his fingers gripping her wrist tight as if he was afraid she'd vanish if he let go. For all was worth, who knew that won't happen? She glared at him, knowing that was sure to leave bruises for a few days.

Kyoko ignored the looks from the crew, who were visibly not on good terms with the girl, since their fight the day before. 

As they walked towards her room, Zuko sighed, finally telling her the reason she was _still_ on his ship.

"You helped the avatar and his friends, so obviously you're in good relations with them now. Next time I spot them, they could try to help you out. And then it would be easy for me to capture him."

Kyoko looked at her from the side of her eyes, scoffing. "So I'm the bait?"

Zuko nodded, opening the door and showing her in. "Precisely." With that, he closed the door in her face, locking it after him.

Kyoko growled, kicking the door in annoyance. The nerve of this boy! 

Barely half an hour later, the locked door opened to reveal a stressed looking Zuko.

"What?" Kyoko mocked. "The avatar bested you again, princess?"

Zuko huffed at her, fire coming out of his nose. "Shut up and get up. My uncle has been kidnapped by earthbenders, and you're going to help me find him."

Kyoko looked at him with a surprised face, worried for the man. She barely met the former general, but he showed her more kindness than ever her closest friends have had. 

Zuko must have interpreted her silence as hesitation, for he seemed to grow even angrier than he already was. "My uncle showed you kindness, and you're going to repay him. Now get up!"

She was led outside, where she was shown down on the back of a komodo rhino behind Zuko, forced to hold onto his torso. She tried to pay it no mind, but it wasn't easy when she could feel his muscles through his shirt. He might have been an asshole, but he sure as hell had _things_ to show off.

"Can you stop pinching my sides!" Zuko gritted his teeth at her, and she looked at him with boredom. 

"I was not pinching your sides."

"Yes, yes you were! You're still doing it. It's annoying." 

"Fine!" Kyoko snarled at him, placing her hands around his waist, her head falling on his shoulder. "Better?!"

Zuko remained silent, drawing in a sharp breath as he could feel her cold hands against his warm chest, even through the thin armor he wore. Or maybe it was just the shiver that ran down his spine when she wrapped her hands around him. Either way, he didn't like the feeling growing in his stomach each time he could feel her wavy hair brush against his ear or the way her embrace seemed to make him pay less attention to where he was going. Not that he was going to tell her any of that, of course.

Ten minutes passed slowly when Zuko stopped the rhino.

"What?" Kyoko yawned. 

"I found this," Zuko said, grabbing a sandal from the ground. He smelled it before he took it away from his nose in disgust. "Yeah, that's Uncle Iroh." he grimaced, remounting the rhino.

'Pfff, no way you're sure that's his sandal." Kyoko snorted. Her snort turned to cough as Zuko shoved the sandal in her face, and she almost fell down the rhino as the smell reached her nose. 

"Fuck." She showed the sandal away. "I wouldn't wish that even to my worst enemy."

To her amazement, Zuko laughed, _loud_. Kyoko wasn't even aware this boy knew what laughing was. But his laugh was... not unpleasant, and in less than a second, she found herself laughing with him.

When they finally stopped, Zuko looked over his shoulder at her, his eyes lacking the usual anger and stiffness. "That was... funny."

Kyoko smirked, arching a brow at him. "Oh, so you think I am funny?"

Zuko rolled his eyes at her silliness. "I take it back."

Kyoko snorted, amused by the situation. "Oh, don't. Prince Zuko, _the_ Prince Zuko, think I'm funny?" Her smirk only grew as his cheeks changed into an unfamiliar rose. "What an honor." 

Zuko looked back to his front, trying to ignore the silly feeling in his stomach, but he soon found it to be very difficult when her hands wrapped back around his middle. 

"So..." Kyoko tried to make small talk a few minutes later, "why are you in The Earth Kingdom? Like, what did you do to get yourself banished?"

Zuko was ready to tell her off for prying in his personal life when he noticed a very familiar sky bison flying above their heads. 

"The avatar!" he gasped. 

"Zuko, look!" Kyoko pointed ahead, where there were footsteps planted on the ground. "They took him in that direction."

Zuko looked between the footsteps and the avatar, and with a sigh, he followed after the footsteps, to Kyoko's relief. She was ready to tell him off for abandoning his uncle for some blind chase that would end to the avatar's advantage anyway. She surely wasn't going to help him fight that sweet child. 

"Why did you want me to come with you, anyway?" she asked, out of pure curiosity.

"Isn't it obvious? You're an earthbender. What better way to fight off earthbenders than with an earthbender?"

Kyoko looked at the back of his head in confusion. "You're a firebender. You could stand your ground."

Zuko simply shrugged, looking at her over his shoulder. "My uncle once told me that the fighting styles and powers differ. As well as their opposites. A waterbender could easily overpower a firebender if the firebender isn't fast and careful enough, just as an earthbender could easily win against fire and water if the others aren't good enough benders. And if those earthbenders are powerful enough to kidnap my uncle, then I must be very careful. Besides, I've seen you fight my soldiers, and as much as I hate to admit it, you're pretty good."

"I know," Kyoko said smugly, causing Zuko to roll his eyes at her antics. "I suppose that makes sense. I hope it doesn't become a usual thing, though. Me helping you. My code stops me from offering my help to others."

Zuko arched a brow at this, and Kyoko widened her eyes as she realized her mistake. "Your... code?"

 _You fucking idiot._ Kyoko scolded herself. She quickly made an excuse, jumping from the rhino.

"What the hell are you doing?" Zuko snapped at her in annoyance. 

Kyoko ignored him, her bare feet giving ger a clear feel for the earth around.

"We are close." She stated, turning to look at Zuko who gave her a quizzical look. 

"What? How do you know?"

She shrugged as if it were obvious. "Seismic sense."

Zuko watched her as she hopped back on the rhino with a confused face. "Seismic sense? What do you mean?"

"Oh, it's just something a bandit undercover taught me a long time ago. It's a rare earthbending ability, which makes us feel the earth around us with our feet as if we were seeing it with our eyes. My seismic sense isn't that good, _yet_ , but now I can feel everything around me for as far as one mile." 

Zuko continued to stare at Kyoko as if she had two heads. He finally shook his head, heading towards the way she pointed at, with narrowed eyes. "Right. Of course, you can do that, silly me."

"You _are_ silly, but to your defense, it's not common knowledge. Especially for firebenders."

Zuko simply rolled his eyes, growing more annoyed with each minute passing.

"Do you _ever_ shut up?"

Kyoko smirked. "Only if I'm being muzzled. Which isn't likely."

For whatever reason, Zuko felt the blood rush to his face at her words. Clearly, he was just tired, that was all. 

"Stop." Kyoko suddenly pulled away from him, and for an unknown reason, Zuko found himself missing her touch on his body. Not that he cared, obviously.

"What?" He asked sharply.

Kyoko stepped from the rhino, her feet digging in the warm earth around them. "They're down this valley." 

She took off in the direction she felt Iroh and the Earthbenders, with Zuko hot on her trail. They stopped behind some rocks as they spotted the earthbenders surrounding Iroh.

"These dangerous hands must be crushed." One of the earthbenders brought up a boulder and prepared to drop it. However, Zuko jumped in and kicked the rock away before breaking Iroh's chain with his boot.

That boy sure as hell was strong, Kyoko observed.

"Excellent form, Prince Zuko." Iroh praised. Then his eyes widened happily as he saw Kyoko jumped from behind the rock, punching a rock headed towards Iroh's head with her fist, breaking it into small parts. "And Kyo!"

"You taught me well." Zuko replied, proudly.

The earthbender growled. "Surrender yourselves. It's six against three. You're clearly outnumbered."

Iroh arched a brow, challenging. "Yeah, that's true, but you are clearly outmatched."

The soldiers fired rocks, but Iroh destroyed them with his chains while Kyoko punched them away, annoyed that she couldn't bend the small earth particles.

"What kind of earthbender are you?" one of them snorted mockingly at her. "You can't even bend these tiny rocks away." He taunted, bending a small rock from behind at her head, making her lose her balance.

Kyoko growled at him, taking out her fans as Zuko and Iroh dodged and blasted fire at the earthbenders.

"Oh no." another laughed. "She got fans."

However, Kyoko simply smirked in response, opening her fans with a wrist move. She kicked the ground, causing an earthquake, then she opened the ground around the earthbenders, moving her fans to rise the earth to their middles before she twirled her fans around, their precision helping her move five middle-sized rocks that she threw at the men, knocking them out as they couldn't bend the rocks away due to the blockage she made around their bodies.

She shared a look with Iroh and Zuko, the elder one giving her a thankful smile while Zuko stared at her fans, almost quizzically. 

With a sigh, Zuko turned back to Iroh, looking him up and down. "Now, would you _please_ put on some clothes?"


	5. I was a child

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kyoko joins Zuko in their journey at Avatar Roku's temple in Zuko's chase after the avatar. Zuko's suspicions about Zhao and Kyoko is confirmed, to his horror.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * Mentions of past abuse and sexual aggression.

<https://open.spotify.com/track/4dASQiO1Eoo3RJvt74FtXB?si=f0uVWEhYT-GPEGuTqpeQQg>

_'This is what we wanted from a young age_  
No emotion, that's what business is  
Lord, have mercy on the witnesses'

Kyoko returned to the ship with Iroh, happy that she was now free to roam the deck by will. Apparently, her helping Zuko save Iroh made Zuko give her permission to walk on the deck instead of being locked in her room. It must have been a small thing for Zuko, but Kyoko was slightly happy to have gained a small amount of freedom.

She wasn't going to admit it to anyone including herself, but she grew to like being on the ship. She didn't have the freedom she wanted, but it was better than constantly having to flee places because of the guards and her mother's people on her tail. At least she had warm, tasty food instead of the garbage and rats she got to eat when she was starving, and she had a warm bed to sleep in compared to the frozen mud or bug infected trees she slept almost every night in.

So, Kyoko considered, she had all the reasons in the world to see this is a mini-vacation from her earthly struggles. And at least she knew her mother won't get close to her while she was traveling with the spoiled prince. 

Speaking of, she was wondering what happened. He arrived on the ship half an hour later than Iroh and Kyoko, demanding they head towards the Fire Nation.

Kyoko paled at this, but as long as her identity remained a secret, she was satisfied. Other than Iroh and Zuko, no one on the ship knew she was an earthbender. 

She walked next to Iroh, curious to understand Zuko's reasons. After all, wasn't he banished? Was he allowed to return all of the sudden? Without the avatar?

"Sailing into Fire Nation waters..." Iroh scolded Zuko, "Of all the foolish things you've done in your almost nineteen years, Prince Zuko, this is the most foolish!"

Zuko angrily turned away. "I have no choice."

But Iroh wasn't going to let it drop this easily. "Have you completely forgotten that the Fire Lord _banished you_? What if you're caught?" He said, fearful for his nephew. 

Zuko placed the telescope in his pocket and turned back to his uncle. "I'm chasing the Avatar! My father will understand why I am returning home!"

Iroh shook his head. "You give him too much credit. My brother is not the understanding type!"

Zuko ignored Iroh, looking back to his telescope, spotting Appa. "There they are. Helmsman! Full steam ahead!"

Kyoko looked up, spotting Appa with a neutral look. She wasn't going to comment against it, she was finally getting Zuko to see her as a person rather than a bandit. But she also not happy that the avatar was in danger. If it came to a fight, she'd fight by the avatar. But for all was worth, she won't have to. The avatar was pretty good at escaping, it seemed.

Three soldiers prepared the catapult, sending fireballs towards Appa. _Big_ fireballs that made Kyoko slightly nervous to be on the deck. 

It suddenly became too hot because of the flames, and both Iroh and Kyoko started fanning themselves, to Zuko's annoyance. 

"You have something against it? You're welcome to return to your room, or better yet, your cell!" Zuko gritted his teeth at the girl, who glared at him in response. 

But Iroh only fanned himself more, clearly feeling the same as the girl. "Uh, really Prince Zuko, couldn't you shoot them down with something more fragrant?"

Zuko ignored Iroh, lightening the stinking ball with a fire punch. "On my mark! Fire!"

Kyoko flinched when she saw Appa barely dodging the fireballs, but she didn't have enough time to worry about _that_. Her eyes widened as she looked ahead, and quickly pulled at Zuko's hand.

"What?" He hissed, pulling his hand away from her grab. His face paled, however, as he looked to the direction she pointed at, straight ahead. "A blockage!"

Kyoko widened her eyes, fear making her flinch. She's never seen so many Fire Nation ships in one place, and she suddenly wished she'd taken her own advice and fled away when she had the chance.

Iroh turned to his nephew, fearful for Zuko's life. "Technically you are still in Earth Kingdom waters. Turn back now and they cannot arrest you."

Zuko wasn't paying attention, his eyes fixed on Appa who wasn't slowing down.

"He's not turning around!" He shouted, turning to look towards Kyoko with determination on his face.

Iroh was not having it. "Please, Prince Zuko! If the Fire Nation captures you, there is nothing I can do! Do not follow the Avatar."

The Prince lowered his head, closed his eyes, and clenched his hands into fists, sorrowfully. "I'm sorry, Uncle." He rose his head, opened his eyes, and thrust his right hand forward commandingly. "Run the blockade!"

Kyoko panicked, feeling her heart beating so fast she feared it would burst out of her chest. "Prince Zuko, please, don't do this!" She begged, fearful for her own life. There were several people on these ships who would recognize her or her resemblance to her mother. And spirits forbid anyone found out her identity. Death would be the least of her worries.

She expected Zuko to yell at her for her attitude, but he only looked down, with a sorrowful look in his golden eyes. "I'm sorry." He whispered. 

On a nearby ship, Commander Zhao was searching the horizon with his telescope. He looked down from the avatar's bison to Zuko's ship, with a smirk. "The banished prince." His eyes widened in surprise as he saw the figure talking next to the prince. He double-checked, looking her up and down, his smirk only growing. "And the Dao Fei girl. My lucky day."

The captain approached Zhao. "Commander, what are your orders?"

"Shoot the bison down, captain," Zhao said without hesitation.

The captain looked at him in surprise. "But there's a Fire Navy ship out there, sir! One of our own! What if it's hit?"

"So be it," Zhao replied, and the captain looked at him in shock. Zhao went on, coldly. "It belongs to a traitor, and there's a criminal on the ship too." His eyes darkened as he continued to stare at the girl's figure through the telescope. "Ignite. Launch!"

On the ocean surface, Zuko's ship was narrowly missing many falling fireballs. Sheets of ocean water crashed over the ship, and crew members ran for safety. A single fireball exploded on the aft side of the vessel.

The engineer rushed towards the prince, alarmed. "Prince Zuko! The engines are damaged! We need to stop and make repairs!"

Zuko closed his fists, ignoring the alarmed look on Kyoko's face.

"Do _not_ stop this ship."

Kyoko looked up in horror as Appa barely dodged a hurricane of fire, but not all of them were safe. She gasped as she saw the water tribe boy fall from the bison, heading straight towards the ocean through the fireballs. 

"No!" she screamed, running towards the other side of the ship just in time to see the avatar barely catching the boy before he fatally hit the water's surface. 

The avatar and the boy looked up to see her gripping the ship's edge, their eyes widening as they recognized her from Kyoshi's Island.

"Kyoko!" Aang gasped, but the girl flinched as she felt Zuko rushing towards them. "Go!"

The boy nodded, giving her one last look as he flew back on the bison using his glider, the water tribe boy holding tightly onto him.

"You had him right at your side!" Zuko grabbed her shoulders, turning her around to glare daggers at the girl. 

"You should worry less about the avatar and more about your life and the crew's." She glared back. "We're going to get crushed!" she pointed at the blockage.

Two ships in the blockage were heading in the same direction, ready to crush into Zuko's ship and kill everyone on it.

"We're on a collision course!" Iroh shouted fearfully.

Zuko let go of Kyoko, turning towards his uncle confidently. "We can make it!"

Kyoko stared at him as if he had two heads. "No, the fuck we can. You're going to get us killed!"

Unknown to her, Zhao commanded the engines to be stopped, to let the prince pass in order to follow him after the avatar's trail.

But Kyoko already made up her mind. "I am not dying today. Not like this!" She yelled, getting the crew's attention. 

All eyes were on her as she climbed the high rope. 

"What on Earth are you doing?" Zuko shouted after her. "Get down here before you get hurt!"

Normally, she'd tease him for sounding so worried about her, but she barely heard him through the high pitch in her ears.

When she above the middle of the ship, she jumped. Kyoko took out her fans from her belt, opening them just as she landed on the hardwood. As soon as her feet touched the ground while she guided her fans with her hands, an earthquake moved the ships ahead. 

She rose her hands guiding her fans, and to everyone's shock, two rocks the size of a mountain rose from the water, the two ships crushing straight into them fatally. She parted her hands as far away as possible, and the rocks moved in opposite directions, making a clear path for Zuko's ship. A wall of earth rose from around them, blocking the other ships from attacking Zuko's, effectively shielding them from the Fire Nation naval army.

Zhao pulled away from his telescope, his jaw hitting the ground. "Incredible." He gasped, before his lips curved in a grin as an idea popped in his head. "Follow the banished Prince's ship, and prepare a letter for the Fire Lord. There's something he would like to know, about a certain's Prince unexpected companion."

Kyoko gasped as she felt the energy leave her body, and she fell on her knees, barely having the strength to rise her chin. The ship fell silent as the crew all stared at her in complete shock. Then, slowly, the Lieutenant clapped. Two more joined, then another two, and soon all members of the crew were clapping, cheering for her as they helped her up.

"That was the most powerful display of earthbending I've seen in my entire life."

"I didn't know people could move mountains." 

"That was incredible!" 

And many other praises that made Kyoko bashful. She ignored the pit in her stomach as she realized she had exposed her powers to everyone around, but what mattered was that they were all safe, and most important, alive.

She felt a hand on her shoulder, and she turned to see Iroh giving her a proud look. "Excellent power display and form, Kyo." 

The girl smiled, panting for air as she tried to regain her energy. "Thank you, Iroh."

Iroh opened his mouth to praise her more but closed it when he saw the approaching figure behind them. Kyoko followed his gaze and turned around, gasping as she almost crashed into Zuko's chest. 

She took a step back, looking into his eyes, not expecting the grateful look he displayed. "Thank you, Kyoko." He spoke, his voice was so much different from his usual shouts and yells. "You saved our lives today." He took a deep breath, pondering his words before he sighed, his tone honest and undoubtful. "You are no longer a prisoner on my ship."

Kyoko's mouth opened in surprise, her emerald eyes widening as they stared straight into his amber eyes. Slowly, a smile appeared on her face, something Zuko hasn't seen before. She was beautiful when she smiled, he thought before he shook his head to cast away his thinking. 

"Thank you, _Prince Zuko_ ," Kyoko spoke, her voice soft and meaningful. He wasn't familiar with her smile nor soft tone and expression, but strangely enough, he found himself smiling back. 

They both looked away when they heard Iroh coughing intentionally next to them, a mischievous look on his face.

"Come on, Kyoko, you must be hungry after all of this." Iroh patted her shoulder, motioning for her to follow him with Zuko close behind. "I've seen you struggle yesterday with bending the small rocks, so I was clearly not expecting you to be able to move _mountains_."

"It's a problem I've had since I was little. I lack precision, and I need fans to help me bend without causing disasters."

Zuko found himself very intrigued with this as well as he sat down at the small table with Iroh. He looked expectantly at Kyoko, who didn't sit down next to them. He looked away when he realized she was waiting for _him_ to make it official that she could now sit and eat like a free person.

"I told you you're no longer a prisoner on my ship." He spoke, nodding at the cook as he placed three bowls of noodles on the table. "That means you can eat with us, at a table." 

Kyoko arched a brow, a small smile playing on her lips as she sat down between the two. "Good. Spirits, am I starving."

Zuko watched her eat the plain noodles as if they were gold, and he tried and failed to ignore the guilt rising in his stomach, knowing he was the one who starved her.

"I've never seen someone like noodles so much." Iroh chuckled, slurping his noodles loudly.

Kyoko simply shrugged, continuing to eat loudly. "I'm used to eating garbage and street rats, on _good_ days. This is gold compared to _that_."

Iroh and Zuko shared a concerned look before they glanced back at the hungry girl. Alright, Zuko thought, maybe he wasn't the main cause for her starvation.

"Did your family not feed you?" Iroh asked in a fatherly tone.

Kyoko straightened her back, pausing her eating with a cold look on her face. "They did. Until I ran away from home."

Zuko frowned, looking at her in confusion. "You... ran away? Why?"

Kyoko simply shrugged, not wanting to reveal much. "Let's just say that my upbringing was very different from the one the two of you had. My family isn't well respected. Feared, but not respected. I simply wanted something different for myself, other than being tied to my upbringing my entire life." She sighed, playing with her chopsticks in the bowl. "Didn't go that well, though, since I have a thing for getting in trouble wherever I go."

Both men shared a conflicted look. Iroh's was of pity and empathy, Zuko's was of sadness and curiosity. Every day he learned more and more about the strange girl he found stealing on his ship. And every day she seemed to become... more honorable in his eyes, for whatever reason. 

Iroh understood her silence as meaning that she no longer wished to speak about her past. He cleared his throat, looking at his nephew slightly worriedly. "Zhao is going to follow our ship. He knows you're going after the avatar."

Zuko nodded, his eyes narrowing. "And I have a plan for this." He replied, placing down his half-eaten bowl. "If Zhao wants to follow a trail of smoke, then that's exactly what I'll let him do."

The way Kyoko flinched at the mention of Zhao's name didn't go unnoticed by the two. 

"Do you know Zhao, Kyo?"

The girl paled, pushing away the bowl from her as if it made her sick. "In more ways than I'd ever like to remember."

Iroh quirked an eyebrow thoughtfully and shivered as he thought about what the meaning behind her words could be. It was something too dreadful to even think about, not to mention experiencing it. But surely, that couldn't be what she meant... right? After all, Zhao must have some, _some_ honor. 

Zuko, who interpreted the same thing as his uncle, however, disagreed completely. Like his uncle has informed a few weeks ago, Zhao was a disgraceful man. And, if his suspicions about Zhao and Kyoko were right, he made a promise, he was going to _destroy_ Zhao.

*

Kyoko covered herself with a shawl she received from Iroh as she stepped in the boat with Zuko. Since Zhao was going to follow the ship, she didn't want to have him after her trail if she remained on the ship with the crew. After a few pleads, Zuko finally agreed to have her come with him. That, and she wanted to keep the avatar safe. As long as she was on Fire Nation territory, she was with one foot in her grave. But she'd be damned if she didn't try to help the younger boy.

"Uncle, keep heading north. Zhao will follow the smoke trail, while I use it as a cover."

Iroh nodded, wishing them both luck, and with that Kyoko and Zuko were out on the open sea by themselves. 

A few minutes passed silently, neither knowing what to say. Finally, Zuko decided to break the silence as they almost reached the avatar on Avatar Roku's island, where the sages lived.

"I don't know much about your past, or anything at all, really, but I am sorry that these things happened to you." He spoke with a fainted voice.

Kyoko widened her eyes, looking at him through her long eyelashes, feeling at loss of words. She wasn't aware Zuko was capable of showing empathy like this but in the silence of the sea, Kyoko found herself humming a 'thank you' to the prince, a pleasant feeling in her stomach making her relax her previous tense body as they reached the temple. 

They got out of the boat, rushing towards the temple. Kyoko followed after Zuko, patting her fans in assurance. They stopped behind a column, taking in the scene before them with narrowed eyes.

"Now Aang!" one of the sages called as he and the two water tribe companions of the avatar were pinned down by the other sages.

"Aang! Now's your chance!" The water tribe girl called.

Kyoko was paying so much attention to the scene, she didn't notice Zuko moving away from her to grab the avatar who was waiting to go inside.

She gasped as Zuko walked before the others, the young boy struggling in his grasp.

"The Avatar's coming with me!" The captured sages used their captors' surprise to reclaim the upper hand, pinning their captors down. A lemur flew off with the Great Fire Sage's hat. "Close the doors! Quickly!"

Kyoko moved from behind the column, slamming her leg on the ground. The earthquake caused Zuko to stumble down, helping Aang break free. He rushed towards the boy and girl, who only urged him to go inside the room as fast as possible.

Aang ran towards the entrance of the room, while Kyoko blew off the fire shot by the sages with the help of her fans. 

"Kyoko stop!" Zuko growled at her, but the door closed behind the avatar. Zuko turned towards Kyoko with fury in his eyes, fury which she matched. 

"If you think I'm letting you destroy the world's last hope, you're a fool." She spat, boldly. 

The two water tribe teens gasped, sharing a look as they stared at the girl from Kyoshi Island. They both felt a drop of hope to have someone as powerful as her on their side. 

"Tie her down," Zuko ordered, his glaring eyes not leaving Kyoko's as she was overpowered and tied down next to the water tribe teens, who gave her a pitiful look.

"Thanks." They both said, and Kyoko only nodded, sorrowfully. 

Zuko and the sages tried to open the door, but it was unmovable. "Why isn't it working? It's sealed shut!" The Prince shouted.

"It must have been the light. Avatar Roku doesn't want us inside." The Great Sage replied bitterly.

Zuko kneeled next to the tied Sage and spoke firmly. "Why did you help the avatar?"

"Because it was once the sages' duty. It is still our duty." The sage replied, both sadly and proudly. 

A clap was heard, and everyone turned to look at the approaching man. Kyoko felt herself growing nauseous as she saw the smirk appear on the man's face as he noticed her chained down before he looked down at the prince and the sage, six guards walking on either side of him. "What a moving and heartfelt performance. I'm certain the Fire Lord will understand when you explain why you betrayed him." Zhao grinned.

The Great Sage kneeled as he saw Zhao, his hands pressed together. "Commander Zhao."

"And Prince Zuko. It was a noble effort, but your little smokescreen didn't work. Neither did the mountains slow us down as much as you'd like." Zuko scowled sharply. Firebenders stepped behind him, seizing his arms. "Two traitors and a criminal in one day, the Fire Lord _will_ be pleased."

"You're too late, Zhao! The Avatar's inside and the doors are sealed." Zuko snarled. 

Zhao dismissed him, grinning confidently. "No matter. Sooner or later, he has to come out."

The two water tribe teens shared a worried look with Kyoko, but the earthbender's attention was soon directed towards the commander approaching her with a look she recognized well. A dark, lustful, predatory look she saw in her nightmares. 

"And I see you've already chained my little wayward _whore_ for me. I must thank you for that, she can be a handful."

Zuko snapped his head towards Kyoko, watching her alarmed as she tensed and made herself small against the wall as much as possible.

"I must admit it, I was surprised to see you on the banished Prince's ship. You looked good, but we both know I prefer you more chained down at my mercy."

All the confidence left the girl's body, her survival mode turning on as Zhao gripped her chin, his nails digging painfully in her chin. She could feel alarmed looks from everyone, from the prince to the avatar's friends, to the sages and even the soldiers under Zhao's command.

"Don't touch me." Kyoko tried to speak loud and intimidating, but her voice came out like a squeal. 

Zhao arched a brow, sneering as he pushed her further into the wall, her head hitting the hard stone painfully.

"Are you sure you don't want me touching you? I have very vivid memories of the three times I touched you, _just how I wanted_ , but I think my memory needs a refreshment." His free hand gripped her thigh violently, and she cried out in pain.

"Don't touch her!" the two teens yelled, trying their best to help the girl, only to cry out as the chains left bruises against their skin.

"Let go of her Zhao!" Zuko shouted, fire coming out of his mouth. There was his confirmation. He wanted nothing more than to wipe the earth of Zhao's existence, and then hold Kyoko in his arms and promise her no one would ever take advantage of her again. 

"A little protective." Zhao mocked the young prince. He glared at the sages as he saw the disgusted looks they were giving him, and his soldiers all sent him judgmental, angry looks as his hand slowly went up the girl's body. "Did I hit a soft spot?" His hand grabbed Kyoko by the throat, and she choked under his stronghold. "No worries, _Your Majesty_ , I am a kind man. I can share my whores."

He pulled the girl by the chin until she cried out in pain, much to his growing joy. "Because after all this time, that's all I remember you as. You might be your mother's bandit daughter and a criminal to the nations, but to me, you'll always be nothing but a whore."

With the strength she had left, she pulled her head away from his hold and spat him right between his eyes. "And you will always be nothing more than a rapist and a coward."

Kyoko didn't even notice Zhao's fist, that's how fast it made contact with her face. Her head rolled back against the war, numb from the pain. She heard multiple screams and shouts of the people around trying to defend her, the two teens' and Zuko's standing out the most, but she could no longer pay attention.

"You will learn to respect me like you should've done a long time ago, you outlaw!"

Kyoko spat out the blood in her mouth, her eyes raging fire as she looked at her abuser. "I was a _child_."

Zhao only laughed cruelly at her. "Not to me. You were just a bandit in my hands for me to do as I pleased with you." He mocked, looking around at his men as if he awaited their praises. They never came, however. Zhao was only met with glares and horrified looks all around the room.

"When the door opens, unleash all of your powers! Zhao commanded the men who disrespected him so boldly. 

Kyoko felt panic rush in her body as she feared for her and the avatar's safety.

"How is Aang going to make it out of this Sokka?" the girl asked.

"How are _we_ going to make it out of this, Katara?" the boy, Sokka, replied. He turned his head towards the girl with a concerned look. "Hold on. We'll save you, I promise."

Kyoko blinked at him, feeling the blood pour down her chin from her mouth and nose. Her head rested against the stone wall, and that's when it hit her. Quite literally. The wall was made of stone. 

She quickly started banging her back against the wall repeatedly, gaining everyone's attention. Zhao quirked a brow at her, while Zuko tried to understand what she was doing.

Suddenly, Kyoko managed to stand up, her body pushed up by the stone behind her. She flinched forward, and the stone behind her grabbed at her chains, tearing them down painfully, but efficiently. 

She fell on her knees as nothing support her weight anymore. She looked up, her emerald eyes shining dangerously as she saw the Commander, the face of her nightmares.

Zhao took a step back, his confidence fading as she stood up, her eyes determined. 

"Seize the Dao Fei. Now!" 

The soldiers shared looks, neither willing to further bring pain to the young girl abused by the disgusting man in front of them.

Zhao growled at them, fire coming out of his mouth. "Seize her or it would be your families who are seized instead of her!"

The men hesitated before they slowly took their stance. Kyoko, however, did not back down as she saw the fire appear from the six men standing tall in front of her.

She leaned back, punching the wall with her remaining strength. She ignored the admiring looks she got from Katara and Sokka or the way Zuko was looking at her, conflicted between pain for her past and admiration for her strength. Kyoko punched the wall again, and the stones aligned around her body like armor. She wasn't good with such small parts, but if there was a moment when she needed her precision, it was at that moment. The small stones formed the size of nails, and she sent them to their bodies with a flicker of her wrist towards their arms and legs, not killing them out of mercy. 

The men all screamed as they fell, and Kyoko retreated the stones, allowing them to be treated if they got out of the temple in time.

Kyoko looked up at Zhao, who shivered before he let out a roar and took a fighting stance. "What, you think you can beat me? Do you not remember what happened the last time you tried to stop me? Do I need to burn you again to teach you a lesson, _Dao_ Fei? I'd gladly send your body back to your mother when I am done with you. She surely will drop that confident smirk off her face, that woman."

Kyoko growled at him, sending a rock his way that hit him in the stomach, and he fell in pain. The others cheered, even the sages. "Don't you fucking dare speak about my mother! Even as an outlaw, she's more honorable than you ever will."

She took out her fans, ready to crush the man with her bending when the door opened. 

Zhao jumped to his feet, ordering the sages to take their stance. "Attack!"

"No!" Katara screamed. "Aang!"

Except, it wasn't Aang...

"Avatar Roku!" the chained Sage beamed.

He blasted Zhao and the sages off their feet, and Kyoko took this opportunity to make a hammer out of the stones fallen and broke down the chains around Katara and Sokka. They looked at her thankfully, but she already moved towards Zuko. He looked up to see her chest almost pressed to his face as she broke down the chains, and blushed, looking to the side. 

"Let's get out of here." She urged him and helped the prince up.

As she ran away holding Zuko's arm, her eyes met Katara's and Sokka's. She nodded at them, and they smiled.

And the three of them could all feel that this was the start of a friendship that would last over a lifetime. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all have read the tags, you knew what you were getting yourselves into.


	6. Spirits bless thy children

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kyoko and Zuko finally find the courage to get to know each other, and a friendship blooms around the two.

<https://open.spotify.com/track/5LU2hFmV7fQPmESUrMdf7n?si=a-XERq05SMOtXudaeY0PBg>

_'If you could see beyond the walls that you have built_  
I know it's hard to escape the past and start it again  
Those memories of all the future hearts you killed'

Kyoko woke up in her room, alone. The ship was gently swaying left and right, meaning they were sailing the sea again. She couldn't quite remember how Zuko and she returned. As soon as they were out of the temple, her body finally gave up under her weight. Kyoko could remember two strong hands wrapping around her as passed out, and that's all that appeared in her mind all of the sudden. Zuko must have carried her to the ship. She felt a strange emotion in her stomach, but it quickly disappeared. He probably brought her back to punish her for helping the avatar and his friends, _again._

Nevertheless, she stood up from her bed struggling to find her way around in the darkness of the room and gripped the door handle when she finally found it. Kyoko expected the door to be locked, but, to her surprise, she found the door opened as she pushed the handle. Kyoko couldn't help but wonder why that was so, but she quickly decided not to search inside the Lion Turtle's mouth. 

The ship was lonely in the darkness of the night, except for three soldiers on each side of the ship keeping watch. They paid her no mind as she stepped on the deck, shivering when the cold breeze of the sea touched her body. 

Kyoko gripped the deck's edge as she thought back to what happened earlier that day, and shivered, not because of the cold. The smirk on Zhao's face, the insults he threw at her, and the way he shamed _her_ for his actions and seemed to be so proud of the monstrous acts he committed towards her. And this was one of the men the Fire Lord chose to represent the Fire Nation? No wonder the Fire Lord was seen as a tyrant; they were simply too evil for this world. 

Kyoko's mother might have been a greatly feared bandit, but at least she had honor and emotions. She would never prey on little, helpless people, nor would she pride herself in exposing such acts to the world in the hunger for praises. No matter how much Kyoko disagreed with Gemma, at least the woman had a good enough hard not to kill and torture the weak and poor. 

Kyoko was so lost in her thoughts she didn't even notice a figure approaching until the person gripped the ship's edge next to her, staring out at the full moon with a thoughtful look.

Kyoko looked up to meet his face, her eyes landing on the smooth part of his face. It was quite handsome, Kyoko couldn't help but praise.

"You brought me back." She acknowledged. Zuko looked at her from the corner of his eyes as if he didn't expect her to talk first. He met her eyes in the dark of the night, and she seemed to glow under the moonlight. He tried to look away, yet it hurt to look anywhere but at her. 

"I wasn't going to leave you there. I'm... you freed me, remember? You sacrificed your time to get out in order to save me. I had to repay the favor."

He remained silent for a moment, staring at her with his eyebrows furrowed, deep in thought. Finally, Zuko sighed, turning his attention to the moon again. "And even if I managed to free myself without your help, I would've still not have left you there to die under the collapsing temple."

Part of her wanted to ask why, but not out of mere curiosity. She wanted to know if there was some form of attachment or deeper meaning to the looks Zuko seemed to be giving her; she wasn't naive. But another part of her, rational and self preservatory, stopped her from further approaching the matter. Some things were better-left unknown, unmentioned. And she wasn't going to take it lightly if her suspicions were proved irrational and simply a manifestation of her loneliness and attachment issues. 

"At least some of you Fire Nationers have good hearts." She blurted out, not caring if she offended him. He and his uncle were the only people from the Fire Nation that she trusted. Of course, there was a boy in the Dao Fei teen group she used to lead, but he was deserted and gave up anything attaching him to the Nation he was born into, except for his powerful firebending abilities that stood out so much in their six people gang. 

Zuko sighed, his gaze falling to the calm, dark sea. "I suppose." He replied, his voice a whisper. "You know," he tried to approach her kindly, but as neutral as possible, "my uncle used to say that talking about your past events with someone would help you feel better rather than keeping it bottled."

When he felt her wondering eyes trying to get a sight of his scar, he looked away, feeling self-conscious. If there was something that would always remind him of how worthless and disgraceful he was that was his scar. The scar that would never, _ever_ disappear. 

"You care about my past?" Kyoko asked, not mockingly as usual, but with a soothing tone as if she tried to convince herself that she heard the prince correctly. "Why?"

Zuko thought about the reason why, but there was no answer he could give her. Nothing more than to tell her that he simply wanted to know her better, to understand her. She was the first girl he spent more than a few hours with ever since he was banished, but this was so much more than something as silly as his teenager hormones. She was simply so much more than he was used to. He remembered his ex-girlfriend, Mai, the girl he used to think he'd have to court her one day. He barely knew Kyoko for a little more than two weeks, but he felt as if he knew her better than he did Mai, the girl he dated for a year and a half. And yes, that was a long time ago, but he thought about her often. But all his thoughts about Mai vanished as soon as he saw Kyoko again on Kyoshi Island. 

There simply was something... there. Something about the barefoot earthbender who didn't cease to surprise him with the simplest details. And what happened that previous day at the temple, the images in his mind at Zhao's words... he hasn't felt such strong emotions since the day he was scared. Back then it was shame and humiliation and sorrow... now it was fury and the desperate feeling to comfort the broken girl standing beside him.

And with that thought, came his answer. "Because you're broken, just like me."

There was a silence as gold met emerald, both reflected by the moonlight burning above them. After what felt like an eternity, Kyoko let out a sigh, turning around to rest her back against the ship.

"It's not a pleasant story. Are you sure you want to hear it?"

In response, Zuko turned around to rest against the ship as well, his shoulder gently touching hers. "As long as you feel comfortable telling it." 

Kyoko closed her eyes, feeling the weight of the world on her shoulders as she struggled to find her voice. She was aware of his intense gaze over her, but strangely enough, she found it comforting. Maybe sharing her story under the confidence of the full moon was going to help her get rid of the impression pushing against her chest ever since she ran away from home.

"Have you ever heard of the term 'Dao Fei'?"

She opened her eyes when Zuko hummed in response next to her. "Zhao mentioned it as well. He knows who I am, he knows where I come from, and he knows my mother."

Zuko looked at her with a curious look and hummed for her to go on. And so she did. "My mother's name's Gemma. She is the most feared Dao Fei of our time. Her parents, my grandparents, were killed when she was small, and she lived on the streets until the local people found out about her heritage. You see, my grandmother was a direct descendant of Avatar Kyoshi. Kyoshi is my great great grandmother. The locals saw it as a great honor to have my mother around, but she was already corrupted by the ways they treated her before around the Earth Kingdom. When she turned sixteen she left the village in order to pursue her destiny the way she wanted, and so she found the members of a Dao Fei organization. Seven years later she was so respected along with the Dao Fei that she formed her own bandit group, The Flying Snake Dragons."

Zuko remained silent, thinking of the information he had about The Flying Snake Dragons. Everyone in the Earth Kingdom seemed to have heard about them, and he remembered well the days when his grandfather would angrily talk about another robbing or illegal actions committed by the bandits. His father himself has ordered the capture of the leader, but he definitely didn't expect Kyoko to be one of them, and especially not the leader's daughter. But he decided to let her finish before he made any comments. The more he let her speak, the more information he could have about the mysterious thief.

"She had my brother when her glory was blooming. My brother's father was a man from The Northern Water Tribe, but I doubt he knows he has a son. And well all I know about _my_ father is that he was a man on the run that my mother spent a few months with until she decided she wasn't interested anymore. I am not sure what happened between them exactly, but my mother never mentioned my father around me. I don't know where he came from or even what his name was, but it didn't really matter to me. I had my brother by my side anyway."

They both sat down on the cold ground, and Kyoko shivered, something that didn't go unnoticed by Zuko. "I grew up a bandit, and was called 'the little snake dragon treasure'. My mother's crew always took good care of me, and by sixteen I had my own crew formed with the teens of my mother's gang. We fought on our own, and usually had the roles of spying and stealing material goods. But I got tired of always being on the run, imprisoned and beaten for things my mother couldn't take responsibility for. A year and a few months ago I decided I had enough, and left without anyone knowing. I only left a letter behind. My mother and the crew has been searching for me ever since."

She widened her eyes as she felt something warm placed on her shoulders, and felt a small smile form on her lips as she realized Zuko has placed a blanket over the two of them as if he knew they will talk on deck. Maybe he planned for it, but for whatever reason that only made her cheeks turn a rosy color.

"It wasn't easy keeping my identity a secret with my tattoos and eyes. Everyone who saw my mother even for a moment could tell I was her daughter. I look exactly like her as if I am her younger replica."

"You have tattoos?" Zuko quirked a brow, amazed. He always found tattoos to be attractive, even if Fire Nation royalty was forbidden from marking their bodies in any way. But since he was already scarred by his own father, he figured a tattoo wouldn't be that much fuss. 

Kyoko found herself chuckling at his enthusiasm. "Yes. What do you think I keep my hands covered for?"

His eyes sparkled as he gently rose her hand from the blanket, holding it on his palm as it were a delicate flower. "May I see?"

Kyoko nodded, pretending she didn't care. She expected herself to feel threatened by someone seeing her tattoos, but for a strange, foreign reason, it made her feel safer as the prince slowly took off the black bandage covering her right hand. The prince made her feel self, despite being the heir to the throne of the Fire Nation and her enemy by default. She simply couldn't help but feel as if they were meant to meet. With every second she spent near the prince, she was feeling less pressed, as if the boy who locked her two weeks ago was, ironically, the key to her freedom. 

The prince gaped as his gaze met the black dragon inked on her arm as if it was the prettiest piece of art he'd ever seen. Kyoko giggled at his reaction, a sound foreign to both of their ears. "My mother's second in command drew the ones on my arms. My mother drew the one on my back and my ex-girlfriend drew the one on my chest."

Zuko's eyes lit up as if he was a little kid receiving birthday presents. "May I see them?" he spoke in a rushed breath as if he'd be sick if he didn't see them.

"Hmm, maybe some other time," Kyoko smirked at him, laughing when his usual stern, stoic face fell into a sad look. "Besides, don't you want me to finish?" she asked genuinely as she wrapped back the bandage around her tattoo. She found herself hoping, wishing, that he would say yes.

Zuko nodded, placing the blanket over the two of them again as if he was preparing for stories at a bonfire. 

"That's when Zhao came in." She spoke, noticing Zuko freezing in his spot as her words. His head snapped in her direction, his eyes burning with a fire that somehow made Kyoko blush under the pale moonlight. "He found me a month after I ran away from home. I can't remember many details, I was hurting too much to realize what was going on most of the time. But I remember his words properly. He gave me a choice. Rot forever in a cell or become his little plaything."

She shivered at the memory and flinched when she felt Zuko's hand gently caressing her to give her comfort. She hummed absently at the soothing feeling. "I spent a lot of time in his cell. It was like nothing I experienced before. I was being beaten and starved, denied necessities and humanity. I was barely sixteen at that time, and I had my seventeen birthday on the last night inside the cell. I couldn't take it anymore and he took advantage of that. Maybe it was my fault... I should have fought more."

Zuko shivered at her words, mortified that she could say something like this. "No, absolutely not." He squeezed her hand. "Don't you ever blame yourself for what happened. The only person responsible for Zhao's actions is Zhao himself. Don't ever feel guilty, it is far, _far_ from being your fault in the slightest."

Kyoko felt a lump in her throat as she stared at Zuko with a soft look on her face. "Thank you," she slowly smiled, "it means a lot to hear this. I've blamed myself for so long. I was so relieved to no longer be kept in the cell and be tortured every day. My mind was blank from the pain, I didn't even know what I agreed on. I thought he was going to have me spy or steal for him. I should've known what was going on when they fed me well for a week, giving me baths and nice clothes. And then, I was locked inside with him, and it was like I've never experienced pain in my entire life."

She didn't realize tears were falling down her cheeks until Zuko gently wiped them with his thumb, his hand gently resting on her face. She closed her eyes, struggling to keep speaking.

"You don't have to tell me anymore if you do not wish to." Zuko caressed the side of her cheek. 

She shook her head. "It's okay. It's slowly making me feel better to finally get it out of my chest." She took a deep breath, feeling herself grow more confident as she felt herself being pulled into a side hug against his strong, warm chest. It was as if they were lifelong friends, not two people who were at each other's throats previously. 

"I remember how scared and terrified I was. It happened three times. I managed to run away while he was sleeping. I wanted to kill him, but I was scared. I wanted to get out as quickly as I could and never face him again. I don't know how I got out - many spotted me, especially his guards. But they let me go, pretending I wasn't there. I didn't question it, I was too thrilled that I finally had my freedom back. I ran away from the city and lived on the sides for many months until an old Dao Fei rented me his ship for a few months, for free. But as soon as I returned he demanded I pay him since he has gotten into an argument with one of my mother's bandits. He threatened to expose me to the entire city by dawn if I didn't bring him the money. That's how I ended up on your ship. I had to bring him the money, or I risked being found by my mother or worse - Zhao."

Kyoko let out a weak snort, laughing at her own irony. "I guess it didn't really work."

A silence followed. Zuko looked at her, frowning as she saw how much she tried to hide her pain. She was broken, just like him. She was hurting, just like him. She may not have a scar on her face to remind her of the past, but the scars on her soul were irreparable. 

"I..." He started, unable to think of anything smart to say. Zuko was never good with empathy, especially since his banishment. But even more so, he felt terrible for not being good with words, not being able to express just how bad her story was, how much it saddened him to hear what happened to her as a child. "I'm sorry. You didn't deserve any of that. Spirits..." he closed his eyes, bringing her closer to his chest without even noticing. "I can't even find the right words to describe it... Fuck, Kyoko, I'm so sorry..."

Kyoko sighed. "You don't have to say you're sorry. It's not your fault. But even so, thank you for caring, Zuko. You're the first person I've told all of this to." She chuckled, placing a strand of loose hair behind her ear, unaware of the sharp breath taken by the Prince she half rested against. "Never, not once in my entire life, would I have imagined I'd share my sob story with the prince of the Fire Nation. It's kind of funny... destiny. It has a funny way of taking us by surprise. What's next? I'll drink tea with the Princess of the Northern Water Tribe? I serve dinner with the Beifong family?" She laughed. "Or hug the Earth King?" 

Zuko couldn't help but let a silent chuckle at that, taking in the girl curled up next to him. It was strange how he felt... happy. He felt happy being around her, but he had absolutely no idea why. A few days ago he was yelling at her, locking her in a small room, and throwing threats left and right. And now, he felt happy, even if their topic was as sorrowful as a story could go.

Kyoko looked up as she heard him chuckle, with curious eyes. She only saw him as a stiff, stoic, humorless, arrogant brat of a prince, but right now... he felt different. As if he too was a person with good and bad in him, but most importantly... he was a young boy, scared and scarred. She often wondered how he got the scar on his face, but never asked him due to fearing he'd start yelling and imprison her again. But if there was ever a right moment to ask about the scar, Kyoko considered, it was right then. And so, she took a deep breath of air, and finally addressed the elephant in the room.

"Prince Zuko," her voice was warm, unlike her usual loud and rough voice, "may I ask how did you get banished? Does it have to do... with the scar?"

There was a moment of silence. Kyoko bit her lip anxiously as Zuko tensed up, clenching his jaw hard. Kyoko was afraid, for a mere moment, that he was going to break his jaw.

But then, he started speaking. And as soon as he shared his story, Kyoko couldn't help the horrified look on her face.

"I only wanted to save the poor soldiers' life. They were ready to fight and die for our nation, and how did the council repay them? By sacrificing them for selfish ways? But it was my mistake. I spoke against my father's generals, in his war meeting. I deserved to pay for my dishonorable action. And so, I accepted the Agni Kai. I practiced with my uncle the entire day... practiced everything I knew. I thought I was ready to fight that general... but... it was him I had to fight. I spoke against my father's war council, and it was my father I had to fight. I couldn't do it. I couldn't raise my hand against my father. I begged him, cried on my knees... but he wouldn't hear any of it. He considered I had no honor, no loyalty. So he gave me the scar and banished me."

He closed his eyes, feeling the tears form in the corner of his eyes. He pushed them away - he wouldn't cry in front of her. He _refused_.

"I can still feel it sometimes. His burning hand, pressing against my eye. The pain I felt - it's like nothing I could ever describe. I passed out from the pain... I didn't wake up for nearly a week. It hurt for half a year, that's how powerful his fire was. The only reason why I can still see... barely... and still hear a little, it's because I am a firebender, and I have a higher resistance to the fire than others."

Kyoko didn't realize she was crying until Zuko wiped out the tears from her cheeks, his eyes so soft she wondered, for a moment, if she was imagining it. But she wasn't. She sobbed as she cupped the hand on her cheek, her emerald eyes shining from the tears forming more and more. 

And all Zuko could think, despite the pain both of their stories brought, was how beautiful the earthbender was. As if she were a crystal herself, a precious emerald, pure and regal. 

He shook his head quickly... he couldn't possibly have these thoughts about... her. He didn't even trust her... right?

Kyoko let out a heavy sigh, resting her head against his shoulder properly, not noticing the slight rosy color appearing on his pale face. Her eyes were too watery to notice, anyway. 

"Spirits..." she said in a rigid voice, due to the lump in her throat. "Why are we so broken? We were... were children. It's so unfair. Fuck..." she covered another sob with her hand, feeling her head bump with heaviness. 

Zuko closed his eyes as he rested his head on hers, not caring about keeping the distance he tried so hard to keep between the two. At that moment, all that mattered were their broken, shattered hearts, and their struggles to pretend they were alright. But... them children were far from alright.

"Spirits..." Kyoko spoke in the darkness of the night, "bless thy children." she whispered, noticing Zuko humming softly above. 

"By remaining strong, by keeping our spirits powerful and filled with hope," Zuko promised, "we will prove that we are worthy. That we, too, are worthy of love and respect."

They remained silent for the rest of the next half an hour they spent like that, next to one another, silently giving the other strength.

And, both could feel, that was just the beginning of their soon to be an unbreakable bond that will remain for the rest of their lives.

A Prince and a Bandit... both from different worlds, different cultures, elements, views, and birthrights... but so alike in their desire for freedom, boldness, and powerful, unbroken spirits. 


	7. Braids and Ponytails

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kyoko and Zuko try and fail to hide that they might actually... tolerate one another. Iroh helps Kyoko with her bending.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you think Kyoko is a Kyoshi rip off, you're absolutely right.

<https://open.spotify.com/track/4pGqFOfzvfe6avb9kbZicC?si=up-Z88FYRAWMJbKFii9OHg>

_'The goosebumps start to race_  
The minute that my left hand meets your waist  
And then I watch your face'

Two days later, Kyoko found herself on the ship's deck, playing Pai Sho with the former general, while the prince was practicing his firebending.

Kyoko caressed her chin as she watched Iroh's next move with uncertainty. 

"You're a wise player, Iroh." She complimented, and the old man hummed in response.

"Took years of practice, young Kyo. But you're a formidable player yourself."

Kyoko smiled. "My mother's girlfriend taught me and my brother how to play since we were young. My brother is a master Pai Sho player. I am not even half as good as him."

Iroh nodded, giving her an empathic look at the mention of her family. She must not realize it herself, he considered, but the young earthbender was clearly missing her brother and mothers, and her people. Kyoko confessed her identity to him two days ago, but he already was having suspicions about who the young girl could be. 

"Then I can only hope of playing with your brother one day, then. What a delight it would be." The old man cheered, sipping his tea with small sips.

"Could you keep it down?" Zuko huffed smoke out of his ears as he punched fire in the air. "I'm trying to concentrate."

Kyoko sighed, shaking her head. She looked up at the fire prince, and her cheeks grew red. She'd be miserably lying to say he wasn't handsome. And his bare chest surely wasn't a bad sight, at all. 

"Are you feeling okay, dear?" Iroh asked, chuckling to himself as he caught the girl string obviously at his nephew. Kyoko cleared her throat, her neck turning red in embarrassment. 

"Yes." She struggled to speak, then cleared her throat in awkwardness. "I'm feeling just _fine_."

Zuko looked behind him at the two in confusion and frowned upon noticing Kyoko's flustered face. Was she feeling sick?

"Why don't you try training with my nephew? I'm sure you'll be a formidable opponent."

Zuko walked towards them, the frown remaining on his face as he awaited her answer.

"Hm, I don't know." Kyoko caressed her chin, barely hiding her smirk. "Are you sure you're up for such a challenge, Prince Zuko?"

Zuko only smirked, stepping back to take a fighting stance. "I'd be up for it if I actually saw a challenge."

Kyoko clenched her jaw, jumping from her seat, and taking off the red robe from her shoulder. She was dressed in black, tight pants, and a black short top that only covered her upper chest, revealing her arm muscles and the abs in her abdomen. 

The crew gathered around, whistling in a way that made Kyoko uncomfortable, but she placed her attention on the cocky prince.

"No bending, only combat." Iroh reminded them, as they circled each other on the open space on the deck, the crew cheering for their prince, of course. Even if more than half wished they could cheer for the girl and her biceps. 

Zuko and Kyoko eyed each other like two predators, both waiting for the prey to make a final move. Then, Zuko landed a punch straight towards her abdomen. She easily grabbed his arm and knocked him off his feet by cutting his pose with her legs. Before he could meet the floor, however, Zuko made a push-up move that stopped him from hitting the floor violently. He kicked his legs up, unbalancing Kyoko, and he was up before she could make another move. 

"Is that all you can do?" Zuko teased, but his smirk quickly wiped off when Kyoko's fist made contact with his chest, sending him on the ground on his back. 

"Apparently even at my worst, I can still beat your best," Kyoko smirked back, cockily.

Zuko let out a growl, standing up by moving his legs around in a strange dance pace. He kicked Kyoko off her feet and smirked again. "Who said _that_ was _my_ best?

Kyoko growled, standing up, ready to punch him again. He blocked her every punch, but she managed to kick him in the abdomen with her knee, and he let out a pained groan.

"Your pathetic defense just did." Kyoko sneered, punching Zuko in the jaw. He fell, and Kyoko almost cheered in victory. _Almost_. Zuko's feet curled around hers, and she lost her balance, falling right on top of him with a yelp.

They both struggled to catch their breath for a moment, and when their eyes met, they widened. Kyoko quickly stood up from him and helped him up. 

"I believe it's... a draw. Kyoko delivered the final blow but Zuko had the last say, it seems." Iroh said, then clapped. "Wonderful stances and movement from both of you."

Kyoko and Zuko met each other's eyes, and to the girl's surprise, Zuko gave her a small smile. A smile which she couldn't help but return.

"Now, Kyoko," Iroh gave her a warm look, "how about we try to help you focus on your earthbending? Your precision, to be clearer."

Kyoko looked at the old man with a look foreign on her face. It was... peculiar, to have strangers show her more kindness than her own people have had.

But, Kyoko realized, it felt _right_. The prince and his uncle, they just felt... right. 

She tried hard not to ask herself how long it would take until they'd get tired of her presence and toss her aside or lock her back in a cell.

*

"We're going to start directly with mastering your precision," Iroh said, bringing the tea to his lips. The ship was anchored near a small village, where the crew bought supplies. Kyoko, Iroh, and Zuko were standing in the small forest behind the beach the ship was standing. Zuko, much to Kyoko's surprise, followed them outside, with the excuse that he wanted a break from his own training.

Kyoko called bullshit, but for the sake of peace and quiet, she remained silent. 

"Now, bend a rock. Not too small, not too big. Can you do that?" Iroh asked, watching her from where he stood prompted against a tree.

As an answer, Kyoko slammed her barefoot on the ground, and a rock the size of a small house rose from the ground.

"I was thinking of something... smaller." Iroh chuckled. "But this would do. Now, I want you to separate these rocks into tiny parts. As tiny and as many as possible."

Kyoko frowned, realizing that this wouldn't be easy for her. Her hands went directly to her fans, but Iroh shook his head.

"You may only use your hands. And try to keep all the rocks in the air, no matter how hard it is. If one of them touches the ground, you'll have to start from the beginning."

Kyoko wanted to cry from the helplessness she felt. "This would be torture."

Iroh chuckled again, and Kyoko figured he did that a lot. There was nothing funny, though. 

Kyoko took a deep breath, concentrating on the huge rock. She tried to bend small rocks before, but it was very difficult for her. She was always angry and hateful, and her helplessness with the small parts of her element only made her more furious. But after Iroh made her mediate with him and Zuko for two hours before they anchored the ship, Kyoko found herself at peace. She could feel the earth compounds in the rock as easily as she felt the ground under her feet. Was that all it took to bend properly? Calmness? Confidence? 

It was something Kyoko has lacked her entire life.

Kyoko separated the rock in two, then four, six, eight, ten. None of them touched the ground. She separated them in ten more, then separated the twenty rocks in two each. By now they were small, and Kyoko found it harder to control the pebbles. 

"It's exhausting." Kyoko exhaled, meeting their eyes. Iroh gave her an encouraging nod, and Zuko offered her a smile that made her heart skip a beat. She had to prove herself. She was worthy.

With a deep breath, Kyoko slammed her other foot on the ground, causing a small earthquake that gave her the boost she needed. The pebbles moved slowly in the air, almost like a dance. They moved with the sea breeze, around her, around the trees, around Iroh and Zuko. 

"Astonishing, Kyo." Iroh clapped. 

The pebbles fell gingerly on the ground as Kyoko sat down next to them. She was beaming, her emerald eyes glowing. She bended one small rock from the ground, and rested her dirty feet on it.

"Thank you. Both of you." 

Iroh smiled. "If you keep practicing, it would come as natural as bending the large rocks." 

Kyoko eyed her war fans, trailing a finger over them delicately. "And my fans?"

"Ah." Iroh looked at them with an arched brow. "I am sure you can bend just as well without them, but as long as they give you a power boost and you feel more confident with their help, I don't see a reason why you should give up on them."

Kyoko nodded, satisfied with the answer. 

Iroh returned to the ship after a few minutes, leaving Kyoko and Zuko alone to themselves. 

They looked at one another awkwardly for a minute, and Kyoko cleared her throat, feeling like she was supposed to say something. Anything.

"Uh... you fight well." She scratched the back of her neck, her eyes looking up at the sky.

Zuko looked down at his feet, fidgeting with his fingers. "You too."

Kyoko turned to look at him, and he met her eyes with a gulp. "Thanks," she said, placing her long braid over her shoulder. 

"Do you always keep your hair like this?" Zuko asked, eyeing her black, thick braid. 

"Yeah. Helps me to fight better, you know? With the hair out of my face. My mother braided my hair like this ever since I was an infant. It kind of makes me... me." 

"I see," Zuko said. He _did_ like her braid. He thought it was beautiful. 

"What about you? And the... ponytail?" Kyoko asked back, looking at his ponytail. It wasn't particularly nice, but somehow he could pull it off. She was sure that if anyone else had that hairstyle, they'd look hideous. Zuko, however, seemed to have the perfect face for any kind of hair.

Zuko frowned, sighing as he rested his head against the tree. "I used to have long hair, and it was tied in a ponytail to respect traditions as a prince. After the Agni Kai, the upper part of my hair was burned, so they shaved it off, especially since I lost the fight and it was a way of showing my failure. But not the ponytail, never the ponytail. It means I am no longer loyal to my nation if I cut it off."

They remained silent for a second, their eyes meeting with mixed feelings. 

Kyoko placed her hand over his thigh, patting it in comfort. Zuko felt a blush creep on his neck as he felt her hand touching him. Even through his pants, her touch on his skin was electrifying. 

"I'm sorry all of this happened to you. You didn't deserve it, Prince Zuko. You are a good person."

Zuko looked at her in confusion. Why was this powerful, beautiful girl, whom he treated like rubbish, being so polite to him? Being so nice, trying to make him feel better. As if he deserved love and compassion.

He didn't. He was a failure, a banished prince. 

Besides, she was an outlaw. What could she possibly know about honor and respect?

But this wasn't how he reacted. He didn't push her hand off his thigh, he didn't scold her and yell at her to mind her business. 

Instead, Zuko found his hand placing itself over hers, squeezing it. He watched a blush appeared on her face, followed by a small smile.

They remained in silence for a long while, but it was a comfortable silence. Zuko cherished her presence and Kyoko was at peace.

Neither of them was ready to admit it, yet they both knew it, _felt_ it. 

_They cared about each other._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a short chapter to further Kyoko's power crawl through the book. But the action truly begins the next chapter.


	8. Cinnamon Spice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kyoko and Zuko only seem to grow closer.  
> Perhaps too close for their own sake.

<https://open.spotify.com/track/0vf2eBw2inhl8y61cYQMv2?si=RwUt5s1FT9-6GNwYBm2XdQ>

_'I still get a little scared of something new_  
But I feel a little safer when I'm with you  
Falling doesn't feel so bad when I know you've fallen this way too'

Iroh had his own experiences with earthbenders. He fought them for years, went at war against them until his son... died. He fought them at their best. He knew their moves, their powers, their strengths, and their weakness.

But not once in his life had he seen such power in the element of earth. Kyoko lived up to her heritage, as Kyoshi's great-granddaughter. Her raw power, the precision she developed in little over a week, the control she had over the earth...

It was safe to say she was the most powerful earthbender he'd ever had the pleasure to meet. And what was even more fascinating, Kyoko had no idea of the talent she possessed. Just like his niece, Princess Azula was a firebending prodigy, Kyoko was as much of an earthbending prodigy. 

It was a delight to see her power grow each day. From a girl who couldn't bend a small rock, now she could even bend dust. It was astonishing.

And he wasn't the only one who noticed.

Iroh found it amusing how his nephew would come up with excuses just to spend time with the girl. He played the 'training' card every single day, but with time he added the 'meditating' and 'take a break' cards which, funny enough, Kyoko didn't even think twice before saying yes.

It warmed his old heart to see Zuko finally having a friend. Destiny surely had a funny way, Iroh often muttered to himself. Who would have thought that the 'boy' that stumbled on the ship and was imprisoned the same day would become the first Zuko had in... forever? 

Nevertheless, Iroh was happy to watch the two become closer with each day passing. Perhaps it was the horrible past they had in common or their similar personalities. Impatient, hot-headed, and with slight anger issues, but with golden hearts and the longing for affection. 

Kyoko stood up from her bed, groaning as the ship kept making her nauseous. She was definitely not feeling well enough to sleep. The moon was bright outside, and the only people she could spot would be the few guards on deck. She knew well enough that they won't give her any trouble. Not since she saved their lives that day when they were almost crushed by Zhao's ships. 

They might have been jerks at first, but they now respected her and her powers. Besides, it was almost impossible to make remarks around her. Her straight posture and piercing eyes could make grown men run away in fear.

It was moments like this when Kyoko was most grateful to have inherited her mother's looks. If Gemma was good at something, it was intimidating the hell out of everyone. 

Kyoko groaned as she almost fell due to the ship constantly moving, and she pushed the door, finally leaving the darkroom. The corridor was poorly lit, but it was enough for her to see where she was going. After over a month on this ship, she learned her way around. It only took a few bruises and hit toes, but by now she could navigate around effortlessly. 

She passed Iroh's room, the Lieutenant's room, and Zuko's room.

Well, that was the plan. 

She stopped, however, when she heard a cry coming from the prince's room. Concern was written all over her face as she opened his door without a second thought. 

Zuko was sleeping, obviously having a nightmare. He was shaking, folding the sheets under him. The blanket was dropped on the ground, exposing his chest.

"Zuko!" Kyoko rushed to his side, shaking him awake.

He kept trembling in pain. "I- I am sorry, father, please! Please!" He bolted up, his arm hitting Kyoko in the stomach and sending her to the ground. "NO!" he screamed, his hand going to his scar. 

He cried as he woke up, tears falling messily over his sweaty face. His eyes were wide with agony, trying his best to calm himself. Kyoko watched him, frozen to the ground. It broke her heart to know exactly what he dreamed of, in detail.

Finally, Zuko seemed to have calmed his rapid breathing, his eyes finding her on the ground. He watched her for a moment, noticing her hand over her stomach, and he panicked. 

"I hurt you." Zuko cried, rushing to help her up. _Tried_. The sheets, curled around his legs, made him lose balance. His upper body went towards the fall, and he would've hurt himself if Kyoko didn't stop his fall, her hands curling around his exposed shoulders.

"Zuko." Her voice was filled with worry, her eyes wide. "Relax."

He took a deep breath as she helped him back on his bed properly. When he seemed to be calmer, Kyoko sat at the edge of his bed, watching him with such affection Zuko forgot for a moment they were _barely_ friends.

His arms wrapped around her torso, his head resting against her chest. Kyoko found herself unable to breathe as she felt the warmth of his skin against her thin nightdress. As her hands touched his back to support both their weights, they both felt fireworks in their stomachs. Kyoko was suddenly aware of how exposed she was, wearing just a thin, short red dress that barely touched her thighs. She only wore underwear underneath, her chest free under the cloth. If the room was lit better, or her dress somehow became wet, it was as if she was wearing _nothing._

Zuko paid no mind, his head hurting as he recalled the nightmare he had. He dreamed oh his father burning him again, but this time...

"You were there." His muffled, trembling voice seemed to shake around the warm room. "He burned both of us. My father. He burned my face and burned your hand. He was ready to kill you when I woke up."

Kyoko looked down at him in horror, her heartbreaking when she felt his tears soaking her dress. 

"It was horrible, Kyoko." He cried against her body, his hands holding her tighter. "I've never felt so helpless since the day of the Agni Kai." Zuko rose his head, meeting her eyes. He remembered clearly how terrified they looked in his dream as his father burned both of them. It broke his heart... the idea of her being hurt has never made him feel as terrified as it did at that moment.

"It's alright." She promised, her cold hand meeting his burning face, caressing it softly. Lost in the depth of her eyes, Zuko did something that took them both by surprise. 

He kissed her palm. 

Zuko widened his amber eyes, frozen in his spot. Kyoko was frozen in her place too, but only for a moment. She was just as touch starved as he was, but that only made her more curious and intrigued. For whatever reason, the prince's kiss on her palm made her blush. If it was anyone else, she would've punched them in the face. 

So why was she longing for _more_?

Her other arm cupped his face as well, and his nervous look turned to a soft one as she kissed the top of his head as if he was someone she cared about. _Someone she loved_.

"We're both broken." Her voice was no louder than a whisper and lighter than a feather. Even so, it brought chills down the prince's spine. "We both fell." 

She stared right into his burning eyes, her lips forming a small smile while his cheeks turned red. "But..." Kyoko caressed his face again. " _Falling doesn't feel so bad when I know you've fallen this way too."_

Her words swayed in his mind over and over again, even as she wished him goodbye minutes later and left his room. He stood up all night, unable to fall back asleep.

The only thing he was able to think about was her statement, over and over again. Falling doesn't feel so bad when I know you've fallen this way too.

Somehow, in his longing heart, Zuko couldn't help but feel as if her words had more meaning than she intended. 

*

Kyoko had no idea why she agreed to join Iroh and Zuko in the market. She knew too well about her reputation, especially in villages surrounded by pirates and dao feis. Yet here she was, trailing after the royal fire nationers, hid under her black cloak. 

"Let's make it in and out." She said, leaning in towards Zuko who was glaring at the marketers. 

"Of course dear. Once I find a lotus tile, we'll be back." Iroh looked around joyfully. "Such lovely weather today."

Kyoko held back a groan, settling for a pout. "Yeah." He blew a stray piece of hair out of her face. "Lovely."

Zuko eyed her lowered self from the corner of his eyes, arching a brow. "You're feeling alright?"

Kyoko simply nodded, looking at her feet as they walked. "Peachy." She replied, her voice guttural. For some reason, Zuko felt a shiver down his spine at the sound of her voice. And not in a bad way.

"Right." Zuko cleared his throat, awkwardly trying to find a way to cheer her up. "If you want to buy something..."

"I don't buy things." Kyoko shrugged. "I take them. That's what people do."

She ignored Zuko's and Iroh's looks. She didn't grow up as royalty. She had honor, but it was different from theirs by miles.

"Right. You're not doing that." 

Zuko rubbed his forehead, feeling awkward. Did he want to make her... happy? Is that what this was about? Why did he even care, it's not like they were friends? Or were they? He felt his cheeks turn red as he recalled the events of the night two days before. She came in to check on him, she held him in her arms, helped him feel better. She had no reason to.

Kyoko found him in an extremely vulnerable state, and instead of taking advantage of that, she made him feel... safe. Safe, happy, beloved. 

He wanted to repay the favor. He wanted to make her happy, too.

"Uncle, why don't you go look for your lotus tile by yourself? I am... going to show Kyoko around."

Show her around? Kyoko kept herself from snorting. It was really the other way around.

Iroh widened his eyes, looking between the two. "Oh?" He smiled. "Of course. Have fun... showing each other around. I'll meet you at the ship in a little while."

Kyoko blinked once, and Iroh was gone, eager to leave the two teens alone. She rolled her eyes, hiding her amused smile, and held the edges of her hood with slender fingers.

"Show _me_ around?" She snorted, punching Zuko lightly on the shoulder. "Please. You're hopeless around here without me."

Zuko rolled his eyes. Now she was just being annoying. 

"Let's just go." He said, crossing his arms. His expression softened, looking at the tall girl next to him. "Just... tell me if you see something you like."

Kyoko looked at him from the corner of her eyes, nodding solemnly at him. Maybe she didn't have the money to buy things as her heart desire, but if there was someone who did... it was a prince. He was banished, but still a prince.

"Fine, princey. You better spoil me today." She smirked, intertwining her arm with his and pulling him after her.

Zuko yelped, struggling to keep up with her. Her hood fell off her head, exposing her braid, but she didn't seem to care. She turned her head to chuckle at his dumbfounded face, and he felt warm in his stomach at the sight of her bright smile.

"Come on, I've always wanted to try fire flakes." She pulled him to an open food stand, where they served Fire Nation food. 

Zuko eyed the food with narrowed eyes, trying to find something he believed to be worthy for her. He grinned, pulling her by his side. The sudden action made her bump into him, their chests pressed against one another. They both remained frozen for a moment, their eyes widening the size of watermelons.

"Ahem. You're done flirting? There's quite a big queue." The saleslady said. Kyoko glared at her as she took a step away from Zuko. Zuko and she were the only ones at the stand.

"We'll have the roasted cinnamon spices," Zuko told the rude woman, taking two copper coins from his pocket. The woman placed the six cinnamon buns in a paper box and handed it to Kyoko before she shooed them away.

Kyoko glared at the woman as they walked away. "What's her deal?" She hissed. 

"Just peasants being peasants," Zuko said through gritted teeth. He took the box from Kyoko and opened it, handing her a cinnamon bun. "Try it."

She took the bun from him, eyeing it for a moment. She sniffed it for a moment, moving it around to check it.

"Uh," Zuko eyed her strangely, "what are you doing?"

"Checking it for poisonous dust." At his confusion, she went on. "Some people tried to poison me a few times before when they offered me food while I was starving on the streets. My brother taught me to always check it for poison." Kyoko shrugged as if it was common knowledge.

Zuko gulped, feeling a lump in his stomach. "Right. That's... normal."

Kyoko giggled, and he seemed to relax. "It seems safe. I had to check it anyway, seeing how that old woman was staring at us."

She took a big bite of the cinnamon bun, chewing for a moment as she tried to catch the taste. As soon as she did, her eyes formed into hearts.

"This is delicious!" She said through a mouthful, eating the bun with two more bites. 

Zuko chuckled at her, watching her struggling to chew the entire bun, her cheeks making her look adorable. 

"It was my mother's favorite." He said, taking a bite of his own bun. "She used to bake them for me and my sister when were small."

Kyoko swallowed, taking another one from the box as soon as was done with the first. "She has great taste."

"Yeah." Zuko smiled. He chuckled again as she finished the bun faster than he could say 'food'. She was being silly, but it made her look... relaxed. Younger. Acting as a normal teen would.

They sat down on the edge of a fountain, continuing to eat their buns. Zuko only ate one, leaving the rest for her. She didn't even notice it, but he didn't point it out either. It was obvious how much she starved the time she was on her own before she found herself on Zuko's ship. 

He'd feed her until his pockets emptied if that'll make her happy.

"This is my forever food." She said happily as she finished the last bun. "If happiness has a taste, I bet it's roasted cinnamon spices." She patted her belly, letting out a satisfied groan.

"I'm glad you liked them." Zuko looked down at her, finding himself smiling as he took in her relaxed face. She looked... nice. No, not just nice.

"Beautiful." He said, not realizing he spoke the last word out loud. 

Kyoko looked up at him in confusion, a blush appearing on her cheeks. "What?"

"What?" 

Kyoko chuckled, shaking her head. "Thought you said something."

Zuko shook his head when something caught his attention. Kyoko felt her stomach burn when his eyes were fixed on her lips.

"You have some sugar here." He said, surprising himself as his hand cupped her chin, his thumb gingerly brushing off the red sugar at her lips. For a moment, Zuko wondered how it would be to just lean in and kiss those full, rosy lips. He could already taste the cinnamon on them, sweet and spicy. His eyes rose to meet hers, but the emeralds were fixed on _his_ lips instead. Zuko gulped, leaning in without even realizing it. 

He craved it. He craved her touch, her taste, her attention. It hit him fully, like ice water in his face. All these feelings he had around her lately, _all of them_. 

Zuko wanted to kiss Kyoko. Just for a moment, a mere second. Just to _try_. To feel her as close to him as possible, to have her lean into him with as much desire as he did.

But he couldn't. It felt right, but he knew it was wrong. She was a Dao Fei, an outlaw, and he was the Crown Prince of the Fire Nation.

It would be wrong in absolutely every way. Of course, he had his own around the villages and taverns through his banishment. Sailor boys, bartender girls, passing tourists in his way. But it was different. He felt nothing around them, it was just a way to pass time and satisfy his needs. Never, not once in his life, has he had such desire for someone else as he did at that moment for the bandit girl.

So, he did the right thing. He stopped himself barely a few centimeters away from her face. He was ready to pull back, to pull away, when he met her eyes.

Her bright, captivating emerald-eyed. Zuko felt butterflies in his stomach at the look she was giving him. He was certain it mirrored the same look on his face. Longing, curiosity, and willingness. She wanted this just as much as he did.

Spirits, he wanted to. He wanted to _so_ badly. The longer he looked her in the eyes, the more his desire grew. But he had to be rational. What if she was just confused? What if she would regret it right after? What if... she would hate him? If she didn't like that way at all?

Zuko dropped his hand, which seemed to burn as soon as it parted from the girl's face. He put distance between the two of them, and she straightened her back, the happy smile on her face replaced by disappointment. In him? In her? 

Kyoko felt stupid. So, _so_ stupid. How dare she, even for a mere moment, think she could actually kiss a prince? She, an outlaw scum. A thief, a bandit, a _criminal._

She would have laughed at herself if she didn't feel so terrible. Zuko wasn't any better, his face burning with shame. How dare he think he could kiss someone like _her_? He didn't hold a candle to her wits and power. She was a well known and feared figure around the nations, and he was just... a banished prince, unwanted and unloved by his closest family. He even had a scar to prove it, earned from father dearest.

He was nothing, while she was... She was _everything._ Everything that was forbidden to him. Freedom, adventure, excitement, power, _happiness_.

He didn't deserve her presence, prince or not. 

"I think... we should head back." His voice was no louder than a whisper, a pained whisper. They were both in pain, feeling unworthy of affection and love. 

"Yes." Kyoko stood up, placing the hood back over her head, refusing to look his way. "Let's go back."

They walked slowly towards the path they came from, with quite a distance between them. Unknown to the other, they were both feeling responsible for the tension and awkwardness between them.

But if there was something the two of them had in common, it was their inability to communicate properly.

"Had fun, you two?" Iroh called from inside a shop next to them, staring at them happily. His smile dropped when he saw the hesitation and distance between them, as well as their sad looks. He figured it was better not to mention it... for now.

They approached Iroh in the shop, Kyoko keeping her head down. 

"Did you find your lotus tile uncle? Can we head back now?"

Iroh shook his head. "I've checked all the shops on this pier. Not a lotus tile in the entire marketplace."

Zuko frowned, narrowing his eyes. "It's good to know this trip was a complete waste of time for everyone!"

Kyoko stared at him from underneath her hood, and he met her eyes harshly, before they both looked away, embarrassed. Iroh decided to let them be. If something was going on between them, he figured teenagers preferred to deal with their problems alone, at least for a while. He tried to change the atmosphere, not wanting to ruin this pleasant day.

"Quite the contrary. I always say, the only thing better than finding something you are looking for," the crew members began to walk past carrying Iroh's purchases, "is finding something you weren't looking for at a great bargain!" A crew member walked past them, playing a tsungi horn.

This only angered Zuko, who was already in such a bad mood, even more. "You bought a tsungi horn?"

"For music night on the ship. Maybe Kyoko would join us someday. I'm sure she's heard many songs on her journeys." Iroh winked at the girl. "Now, if we only had some woodwinds." He pointed to the ship. "Oh, this place looks promising!" He pointed at a small monkey statue. "Oh, that is handsome! Wouldn't it look magnificent in the galley?"

Kyoko and Zuko made a similar face, meeting each other's eyes in a disapproving look, before they remembered why there was the distance between them, and looked away as if they were electrified.

Luckily, their embarrassment was interrupted by one of the men in the shop. "We lost the Water Tribe girl and the little bald monk she was traveling with."

Zuko and Kyoko snapped their heads in the direction of the man, and the girl almost gasped. She recognized them easily. Pirates. _Pirates_ that worked for her mother.

"This monk, did he have an arrow on his head?" Zuko asked with a smirk on his lips.

The man Kyoko recognized as the leader made a face at the prince. "What do you care?" He spat.

Zuko glared, clenching his fists in anger. "I am looking for him as well. Tell me where he went!"

The captain and his crew only sneered at the prince. "Get lost kid. We're not telling you shit, ay."

Kyoko had enough anger built inside her to let it pass. She always disliked this crew in particular. Almost loud, messy, unorganized. She was above them, and as much as she cared for the avatar's safety, her pride go the better of her.

"I'm afraid you'll have to bite your words back, Oh." She said, looking at Oh with a smirk. 

The pirates pointed their swords at her. Who was this girl and how did she know their captain's name?

"Watch your tongue, stupid girl."

Zuko gritted his teeth, ready to throw flames at the men. How dare they call her stupid? But, to his intrigue, Kyoko seemed to have it perfectly under control.

She pushed Zuko and Iroh out of her way, adapting to her former Dao Fei self. Confident, intimidating, powerful. Any sign of hesitation made you weak. Being weak meant you were going down. But she was Gemma's daughter. Being powerful was in her blood.

"Stupid girl?" Kyoko sneered. She placed her hood down, emerald eyes piercing right through their souls. "You better watch your tongue around me, Captain Oh. Otherwise, I might have to cut it off. After all, you know what my family does with those who dare to disrespect us."

Zuko and Iroh looked at her, astounded. She straightened her back, her pose so sharp it could cut right through their skin.

"Your family?" The captain said, taking a better look at her. His gaze fell on her eyes, then her braid and resemblance cut through him. "You're Gemma's daughter. Kyoko!"

Kyoko smirked, taking pleasure in the power her name held. You could take a Dao Fei out of outlaw life, but you can't take the outlaw life out of the Dao Fei. "That's right. Gemma is your boss, and you just disrespected her daughter. I wouldn't want to be in your places."

The men trembled, falling to her knees. "Forgive us, boss. We didn't know."

Kyoko licked her lips, letting the hood fall down her shoulders completely, leaving her in black pants and her upper breast wrap, and her jacket with a green dragon on the back. She jumped on their counter, leaning over them like a queen standing before her servants.

"Rise you pathetic rats. What are you, children?" She growled, her voice thundering around the shop, sending shivers through everyone's backs. "You know now. You _will_ lead us to the avatar because I say so. And you know better than to cross _me_. You fear my mother's wrath? You have no idea what _I_ could do to you."

The men were shaking as they stared at the teen, making them more scared than a thousand soldiers could. They knew better than to cross anyone from her family, especially _her_.

"Forgive us, boss." Oh cried, pleading forgiveness with his eyes. "We will lead you to the avatar right away! For free!"

Kyoko glared at them, and they almost fell on their knees again, but they decided against it remembering her demand for them to stand up. 

"For free?" She sneered. She jumped down from her place on the counter, and in less than a second she had the captain pressed against the wall, her knee shoving hard into his stomach.

"Let me make this clear for you and your crew of stray rats." She spat, narrowing her eyes at the man. " _I_ owe _you_ nothing. _You_ owe _me_ your lives." She pulled back, taking them all in. "Any thought otherwise is treason, and it would be _crushed_ out your skulls. Do you understand?"

"Yes." They yelped, not meeting her eyes.

It wasn't enough for her. She was angry because of what happened earlier with Zuko, and what better way to feel better than to take her anger out on people she hated her entire life?

"I said, do you understand?!" She yelled, and they all nodded, crying in approval at once. She smirked, raising one of her legs on the counter and leaning into it. "That wasn't so hard, now was it, boys? Now go grab your swords."

If Zuko was going to fight the avatar, at least she could be there to protect the boy. It was better than being locked in her room while the kid had to fight so many powerful firebenders at once. 

She turned around to face the two. Iroh was looking at her astonished, caressing his beard as he recalled what he knew of the Dao Fei code. Showing weakness was the worst thing a Dao Fei could do in their lives. Especially one as important as the girl.

Kyoko met Zuko's eyes, and even as they walked away, going after the avatar, Kyoko not as much as glancing at Zuko for the rest of their journey back to the ship, Zuko couldn't help but feel... a way he shouldn't feel, or _think_ about Kyoko. It was unholy, but he couldn't help it.

Women in power, Zuko figured, seemed to be his greatest weakness.

Especially when they had emerald eyes and a smile that made him weak in the knees.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'Falling doesn't feel so bad when I know you've fallen this way too' is a lyric from the song posted at the beginning of the chapter ^_^


	9. Caged

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kyoko and Zuko go from affection to anger, but that's not even the worst thing at that moment. Kyoko joins Team Avatar.

<https://open.spotify.com/track/222B3aljXx6fFwKmFjuBED>

_'My mama always said, girl, you're trouble  
And now I wonder, could you fall for a woman like me'_

Zuko had many things he wished to talk about with Kyoko. He heard about the Dao Fei before, both home and in his travels. He never imagined he'd meet one, befriend one, or go as far as almost kissing one.

He always thought about them as barbarians, cruel people, stinking of excrements and alcohol. They were loud and proud, killed and tortured everyone around. They were all the same, ugly looking, stinking, honorless bastards.

And then... he met Kyoko. She was the perfect opposite of the image he formed in his head. In fact, it took him weeks to finally comprehend the fact that she was a Dao Fei. And not just an ordinary one - she was related to the leader of one of the most powerful and influential outlaw gangs of their time - The Flying Snake Dragons.

The way her name struck fear in the pirates made his heart skip a beat. It reminded him of how his sister could make generals twice their father's age tremble with fear and cry. Zuko almost let out a sigh - all the important women in his life were powerful and strong. Not that it was a bad thing, but spirits, was he terrified sometimes.

In his chain of thoughts, Zuko didn't even realize what he called Kyoko. _Important in his life_.

Of course, Kyoko wasn't that important to him. All he wanted from her was a better chance at trapping the avatar and his bodyguards. All Kyoko wanted from him was a hiding place from her mother and Zhao. There was nothing more to it, nothing else.

 _Yet all he could see when he closed his eyes were her bright eyes as he leaned in to kiss her._ He wanted to. 

Crown Prince of the Fire Nation, son of Ozai and heir to the throne, was ready to kiss Kyoko of the Flying Snake Dragons. _He desperately wanted to feel her lips against his_. He went as far as to think that _he_ , a future Firelord, wasn't good enough for _her_ , a criminal among the three remaining nations.

It was scandalous, outrageous, and... _exciting._ He craved her almost as much as he craved to restore his honor. It was wrong, but that was what made it intriguing. The more Zuko thought about it, the more he wanted to reach out to her and press his lips against her plum ones. 

The way her braid fell over her big shoulders and straight back, her posture intimidating and confident, how her stray hair that framed her face gently moved with the breeze, her dark skin glowing under the sunrays... it took his breath away, and left his mouth dry. 

She pretended not to see him, although they were standing one next to another in the small ship. Zuko understood why - he embarrassed her by almost kissing her. Who'd want to kiss a mutilated banished disgraceful prince of their enemy nation?

Instead, she kept looking at the dark forest next to them, tensed up. Why was she tensed up? Zuko wondered. Was it because of the pirates? She had to keep up appearances all the time, his uncle made sure to whisper to him as they approached the ship over an hour ago. He remembered vividly how relaxed and peaceful she seemed to look whenever they were alone in the last few weeks. Did he ruin everything for them? Will she return to the ship with him afterward? What if he captured the avatar? Will she come to the Fire Nation with him?

His father would be so proud of his achievements, surely he could let Kyoko stay with him... and do what? Steal from the palace? She would never work as a servant - not that Zuko would ever let her - but she wouldn't be allowed in the castle. Not until Zuko was Firelord, of course. Perhaps they will be best friends in time, and she could be his advisor. Or court lady. Maybe a lady in waiting for Azula - Zuko flinched. The thought brought misery to him. Azula found pleasure in torturing and toying with others, especially those close to Zuko, not that there ever were many. 

Still, the thought of Azula and Ozai hurting Kyoko made Zuko tremble, even if they weren't exactly... friends. Then again, what friend constantly thought of the way the other's hips moved like a feline whenever she walked, owning every single piece of earth she ever stepped on. 

She could own him too, Zuko's mind slipped for a second before it was brought back, leaving a horrified afterthought. They were _friends_ , and that was it. Nothing more, and most likely many things less. Frenemies.

That was the perfect word to describe them, Zuko hummed in satisfaction. Frenemies. 

And frenemies never thought of having sex with each other, so maybe Zuko should stop that too, and faster. If he were to return home, his father will marry him off as soon as he stepped into the castle. He was almost nineteen by now, and he had to assure an heir like his father did. He would never admit that the idea disgusted him. To marry someone for political gaining, to endure a loveless marriage for the rest of his life, and having his future bride get treated like a baby maker for the Firelord.

Zuko found it very hard to admit the truth, often. But he was just a hopeless romantic. _Just like his mother._

He took a step closer towards Kyoko, feeling his mouth dry. She tilted her head to like at him, but her eyes were almost lifeless. He'd heard enough about her backstory to know why - being around her mother's gang, made her feel trapped, almost _caged_. 

"I... can we talk?" Zuko found himself saying, his voice almost a whisper. He hated how often he seemed to feel small while next to her. _He_ was the crown prince. _She_ should feel small while next to him. The prince cleared his throat, his face frowning. "We need to talk."

Kyoko gripped the edge of the boat, clenching her jaw harsh enough for Zuko to almost cringe in response. 

"Are you going to blame me for leaning in?" She spat, her eyes focused on anything but him. This took Zuko by surprise, and he had to take a moment to actually understand what she just said. She... leaned in? To kiss him. She leaned in to kiss him. 

Did that mean he was wrong? Kyoko wasn't _disgusted_ by him and his dishonorable, mutilated face? No, it couldn't be. She certainly was repulsed by him. Why shouldn't she be?

"I-" Zuko opened his mouth, then closed it like a fish. 

"Because I am not going to apologize." She cut him sharply with her words. Kyoko turned her head to look straight into his eyes, and for a second he forgot she wasn't a firebender - Zuko could swear he saw flames burning in her green eyes.

"I wanted to." She continued, punching the edge of the boat with her fist. If it hurt, she pretended it didn't. "I wanted to kiss you. And I won't apologize for that."

Zuko remained in his spot, frozen. A multitude of thoughts occupied his mind. Kyoko... wanted to kiss him _too_? It seemed like his mind stopped working, leaving him stoned on the ground. Why would she care to kiss someone like... Like him. 

"It's probably best that we didn't." Kyoko nodded, letting out a sigh. Her harsh look softened as if she was telling this to her, rather than to him. "You don't like me that way, and I'm pretty sure I don't like you that way either." She chuckled humorlessly. "I am not sure I even like you in any way, to be honest. You're not really my type-"

"What?" Zuko spoke back, his voice dangerously calm. If he was ashamed and confused before, it was all replaced with the constant feeling that misted his mind - anger.

"I am the one who pulled back." He cut her sharply. " _I_ had second thoughts about kissing you! _You_ are the one who is not my type!" He spat, clenching his fists until sparks ignited out of them. Kyoko took a step back, straightening her back. Her face mirrored his, all the emotions being replaced with anger. 

"You're a jerk, that's what you are!" She spat back. "You leaned in to kiss me _first_!"

Zuko took a step towards her feeling smoke coming out of his ears. How _dare_ she speak to him like he was beneath her?! 

They were alone in this side of the ship, away from prying eyes, but even if they weren't, none of them seemed to care any longer. 

"You leaned in too! I saw it in your eyes - you wanted me to kiss you!"

Kyoko scoffed, pushing her braid out of her shoulder, letting it flow behind her. "Oh, you so badly wanted to kiss me, you're making up scenarios in your head where you think I wanted you to kiss me!"

Zuko looked at her like she grew two heads. If he was fascinated with the girl before, now all he wanted was to wipe that grin off her face. "Do you even hear yourself?! You just admitted you wanted to kiss me, and that you won't apologize for that! So pray tell me, why are you defending yourself against your own words now?"

Kyoko opened her mouth to comment, but no reply came out. She was... perplexed. Not that he was right, but because she was _wrong_. She was so ashamed of how she leaned in to kiss him, that she needed to make sure he won't suspect it at all. And now her words and her acts came to bite her in the ass. She was... wrong. She had no right to yell at him for something she was just as guilty as he was. But her pride didn't allow her to admit it. Instead, she did what she was best at.

She ran away from it. 

Or rather, that's what she intended to do. Zuko's hand caught her own, pulling her back against his chest, his eyes burning with his inner fire. "You're not walking away from this."

Then his face softened, and his harsh hold on her softened too. His golden eyes glimmered, and his angry scowl turned to a calm face. So calm, it made her relax in his touch. "Not until we talk this through. Stop running away from everything, Kyoko."

The way the prince spoke her name made her almost forget about what they were fighting about. It just... sounded right. Kyoko wasn't the type to fall in love at first sight, _or fall in love at all._ The romance was the least important thing in her life, something she never bothered to rotate around, not even in her past official relationships. 

But she was _lonely_. She was alone, outcasted, desperate for friendships and company yet afraid of commitment and boundaries. She was confused and - she would never admit it to anyone - afraid. She was afraid that she wasn't worth it. she wasn't worth anything. Kyoko was just a bandit, a hunted criminal. 

But to have a prince show her the slightest bit of affection, made her heart ache, beat uncontrollably. So loud her heart beat in her chest, the girl was sure the prince must have heard it.

He dropped his hold on her hand, placing his arm around her waist instead. Their eyes continued to stare into the other's, the golden sun reflecting against the shining green of nature itself. It was quiet, the only thing they could hear was their hearts drumming in their chest like _caged_ birds struggling to be set free.

"You're beautiful," Zuko spoke, his voice silvery, in a way that made Kyoko lean into him, one hand pressing against his chest, while the other wrapped around his neck. 

"I _did_ want you to kiss me." She spoke, her eyes never leaving his. "I still do."

Zuko froze. His head hurt, his mind almost spinning as he stared in those emerald orbs. The soft breeze of the wind pulled her stray hair out of her face, and in the soft moonlight, she seemed to glow. He was enchanted, leaning into her embrace as if she was the sun itself, whom the prince was destined to melt against. 

And at that moment, all Zuko did was wish he could melt _faster_ if that was what it took to feel those red lips against his own.

And so he did. His lips melted against her own, and it was as if time stood still. Zuko closed his eyes, and Kyoko followed soon. It started with a soft peck, feeling their lips brush against one another's. And then it turned carnal, the soft press turning into bites and wild cages of each other's lips, pulling all their anger and frustration in these battle of dominance over each other. And soon, the carnal tension turned yet softer, passionate and fierce. They explored each other's mouths, holding into one another as if the world was melting against them. All the turmoil of the weeks they spent together molded against the frozen time.

Nothing seemed to be able to ruin their moment. It seemed like an eternity passed until -

"Boss, we spotted the girl who stole the waterbending scroll, right there in the deep forest. We're headed there."

Kyoko and Zuko pulled away from each other as if a lightning bolt struck them both. Zuko felt his cheeks burn, and he tried to catch Kyoko's gaze, but she walked past him as if he were nothing but a ghost of her imagination. It surely felt like _she_ was a ghost made up by his lonely mind sometimes.

"Right." Kyoko cleared her throat, hiding her embarrassment almost brilliantly. "Anchor the ships."

The captain nodded and left, not before sending a wicked, almost chilling look towards The Prince and the Dao Fei. It made Kyoko uneased in her spot, a shiver running down her spine. If work got to her mother about who she spent her time with, all hell would break loose.

And knowing the pirates, it wasn't a matter of _if,_ but rather of _when_.

"Kyoko." Zuko took her hand in his, a ghost smile playing on his lips. He was happy, which was as rare as it came. They spotted the avatar, and he was going to capture him and restore his honor. And he just kissed the girl he kept longing after.

Everything was looking up for him. Except...

Kyoko pulled her hand from his as if it burned. 

"Kyoko..." Zuko whispered, looking at their parted hands with hurt in his eyes. "Why are you-"

"This was a mistake." That was all she said, turning her back to him. "We... it's a mistake."

She should have known better. A kiss was all it took for her to come to her senses - the reason she broke every single attachment ever made.

Kyoko couldn't do anything without her mother ruining it for her. And now that her mother was definitely going to find out about her and the banished prince, everything was going to get ruined.

"What do you mean, a mistake?" Zuko asked, feeling his heart shatter. He ruined everything, didn't he. "Kyoko!" He rose his voice, grabbing her hand again.

"We can't!" Kyoko cried out, pulling from him again. "This... is a mistake." She punched the edge of the boat, clenching her jaw to avoid the pain. "I ruin everything..."

If Zuko didn't feel like Kyoko just ripped his heat out of his chest, he'd feel... pity for her. Maybe the fact that both were just as broken as the other wasn't something they should be connected about... they were too much alike. Alone, fearful, afraid of commitment and touch starved.

And they both hesitated at the worst times.

Maybe Kyoko was right.

Maybe this was a mistake.

 _Maybe they are a mistake_.

He wanted to scream, to cry, to beg, to... to what? Scream at her for having second thoughts? To cry because his father fucked him up so badly Kyoko felt repulsed to kiss him again? Beg her for attention?

No. 

She made her choice.

And it was time for him to make his own choice.

"Fine." Zuko pulled her out of his way, his eyes darkening. "If that's your decision. Fine!"

Kyoko widened her eyes at his reaction... but seriously, what did she expect? It's what she was best at.

Fucking everything up.

By the time they got out of the ship, it was already dawn.

The pirates surrounded Katara, who looked absolutely terrified. Not that Kyoko could blame her, in any way. She hated the pirates more than anything.

Katara bended water up into the pirate's face, and he released her. She ran but was grabbed again on the wrists by Zuko, who held a smirk on his face.

"I'll save you from the pirates."

Katara struggled, glaring at him. "How did you find me? Where is Kyoko?"

Kyoko frowned, stepping from behind the captain, her eyes fixed on the ground. 

"Kyoko!" Katara exclaimed, a hopeful look appearing on her face. "Help me!"

Kyoko came to regret her decision to use the pirates as soon as she saw Katara standing in front of her. Aang was going to be captured because of her. All because of her stupid pride and thoughtless decisions.

Her mother would never miscalculate like this.

"She is not going to help you." Zuko glowered. He turned sharply towards Kyoko, his fingers digging in Katara's skin. "Tie her up!"

Kyoko and Iroh shared a look, and the earthbender glared at the prince. "I am _not_ tying her."

Zuko dropped Katara harshly on the ground, and before Kyoko could figure out what was happening, he was grabbing her jacket, pulling her body into his. His eyes were nothing like the soft, golden ones Kyoko lost herself in when they kissed. They were dark and mad, boiling with anger and fury. 

"I said tie her up!" Zuko roared in her face. He brought her face yet closer to his, enjoying the superiority he finally got over her. "Or you'll be tied up instead." He glowered, letting her fall to the ground hard.

"Prince Zuko..." Iroh gasped, looking between the two with wide eyes. "Perhaps, you should treat Kyoko more re-"

"Shut up!" Zuko yelled, and Iroh sighed, helping Kyoko up. "I gave you an order! Tie this peasant before I tie _you_!"

Kyoko stepped towards Katara, not before glaring at Zuko, as well as the pirates, who shared a look at their boss' humiliation. There was something off about them, more than usual. It made Kyoko shiver.

"I'm sorry." Kyoko apologized to Katara, who was brought to a tree by two pirates. Kyoko tied her to the tree, trying to be as gentle as possible.

"It's okay," Katara assured the girl, "I am not blaming you. I am blaming him!" Katara shouted at the prince, who seemed to care as little as one could. 

Zuko approached Katara with a grin. "Tell me where he is and I won't hurt you or your brother."

Katara only glared harder. "Go jump in the river!"

Zuko glowered. "Try to understand. I need to capture him to restore something I've lost, my honor." Katara jerked her head away from Zuko. "Perhaps in exchange, I can restore something you've lost." He held a water tribe necklace up to her neck.

Katara gasped, and Kyoko analyzed the necklace better. She recognized its structure - Min's mother wore one similar to this. A water tribe betrothal necklace.

"My mother's necklace..." Katara stared at the necklace in shock.

Kyoko narrowed her eyes. "How'd you get that?"

Zuko grinned at her, giving the thief a look that made Kyoko feel uneased. "I didn't steal it if that's what you're wondering." Zuko looked back at Katara dangerously. "T _ell me_ where he is."

Katara shook her head. "No!"

"Enough of this necklace garbage! You promised a scroll!" Captain Oh shouted, pointing his sword at them.

"Watch your tone." Kyoko threatened, and Zuko glared at them, grabbing the scroll, and forming a flame in his other hand. 

"I wonder how much this is worth..." He threatened, making the pirates gasp. "A lot, apparently. Now you help me find what I want, you'll get this back, and everyone goes home happy. Search the woods for the boy and meet back here!"

Kyoko placed her hand over his shoulder, trying to calm him down. _Tried to._ Zuko snatched her hand off his shoulder, glowering at her. "Don't touch me!"

Kyoko took a step back, hiding the hurt look on her face. Okay, maybe she deserved that.

It didn't make her feel better, though.

Kyoko turned towards Katara again, trying to assure her everything would be fine.

Even if she wasn't that sure herself.

"Step away from the prisoner," Zuko ordered her. Kyoko wouldn't spare him a second glance, usually... but she was feeling so guilty, it didn't take too much to convince her. She looked at Katara once again, and both girls shared a similar look. 

The minutes passed by, Iroh walking slowly along the shore, Katara standing tall against the tree she was tied up to, the pirates being on their way to capture Aang. Zuko was waiting impatiently, walking from one side to the other, while Kyoko rested her head on the tree nearest to Katara, getting tired which each second passing.

"Could you stop for a second?" Kyoko yawned, rubbing at her eyes. "Your fidgeting is messing with my feet."

Zuko turned around, his eyes wide with anger. "I don't care about your stupid, _filthy_ feet!"

"Ugh." Kyoko shook her head, looking down sadly. "Zuko-"

"And stop saying my name so often." He took a deep breath, trying to calm down. "Just... stop, okay?"

Kyoko sighed, ignoring Katara's curious eyes on her. She wasn't in the mood.

"Look, I know you're angry... but, can we talk?"

"We're talking," Zuko told her, rolling his eyes. And I am not in the mood. So stop." He sighed when he saw the sad look on her face. They _needed_ to talk, and figure things out. "We'll talk later, alright?" He looked at Katara with a hard stare. "As soon as we are _alone."_

Kyoko wanted to make things right... she really did. But at the moment, neither even knew what 'the right thing' even was anymore.

By the time she could even come back with a response, the sunrise was brightening the sky, and the pirates returned, dragging Aang, Sokka, and their lemur, all tied up.

Zuko grinned, finally feeling better after Kyoko - well, it didn't matter at the moment.

"Nice work." Zuko praised.

Katara let out a sob. "Aang, it is all my fault..."

"No, Katara, it isn't." Aang tried to make her feel better.

Iroh caressed his beard. "Yeah, it kind of is." He said, causing Katara to glare at him.

Sokka groaned, feeling hopeless. That was until he noticed Kyoko standing between Zuko and Iroh. A small smile broke on his lips.

"Hey Kyoko."

Aang smiled as he noticed the girl, trying to wave until he remembered he was tied up. "Hi Kyoko."

"Hey, Sokka, Aang." 

The lemur chirped at the girl. 

"Uh... hi weird lemur I don't know the name of."

Zuko rolled his eyes, bumping his shoulder into Kyoko as he stepped forward. "Enough of this. Bring us the boy."

" _You_ give _us_ the scroll."

At this, Sokka widened his eyes, a grin breaking on his face. "You're really gonna hand over _the Avatar_ for a stupid piece of parchment?"

Zuko growled at the boy. "Don't listen to him, he's trying to turn us against each other!"

The captain ignored him, and Kyoko felt anxiety form in her chest. She had to pick a side, and _fast._

 _"_ Your friend is the avatar?!" Captain Oh gasped.

Sokka nodded. "Sure is, and I'll bet he'll fetch a lot more on the black market than that fancy scroll."

"Shut your mouth, you Water Tribe peasant!"

"Yeah, Sokka," Aang said nervously, "you really should shut your mouth."

"I'm just sayin' it's bad business sense. Think how much the Fire Lord would pay for the Avatar. You guys would be set for life."

"Keep the scroll; we can buy a hundred with the reward we'll get for the kid." Captain Oh grinned.

Zuko's eyes darkened. "You'll regret breaking a deal with me."

He and two of his soldiers took fighting stances, while the pirates took out their sword, ready to fight.

"Stop." Kyoko walked between the two sides, pushing Zuko back as she glared at the pirates. "How dare you act without my orders?!"

The pirates didn't tremble this time. In fact, they seemed to be more confident than ever. "We _have_ orders. We're just not taking them from you. See, while you were busy... with the prince, we sent a message to our _real_ boss."

Kyoko gasped, taking a step back as if she were electrified. "No..."

"Your mother would be so very delighted to have her wayward daughter brought back." Oh smirked. "I think we're due for a raise."

"You wouldn't dare." Kyoko glowered at them.

"Won't we?" Oh laughed. "Of course, we swore a code, even if you abandoned it. You're still a Dao Fei. So we're willing to let you walk... with _some_ honor."

Kyoko narrowed her eyes, fully aware of where this was going.

"A duel. Our best man, against you." The pirates all agreed loudly. "So what do you say, _boss?_ Are you willing to fight for your honor? Or have you lost your dignity so much you can't even fight a mere, old pirate?"

Kyoko glared at them. She could take them all, with her eyes closed. She was completely confident. 

However, Zuko finally seemed to get over his hurt feelings. He walked forward, pulling Kyoko behind him protectively. "Absolutely not! Keep her out of this!"

But Kyoko couldn't back down. The code didn't allow her - her honor didn't allow her.

She placed her hand on Zuko's shoulder gently, giving him a reassuring look. "It's okay, Prince Zuko. You told me yourself. I need to stop running away from everything."

Zuko widened his eyes, looking at her with confusion and fear. "Kyoko..."

"I accept." Kyoko walked past him, trying to erase his worried look out of her mind. And Iroh's Team Avatar's as well, who were looking with horror at the scene in front of them. All of them were thinking the same thing: Could this girl ever catch a break?

"Bending? Weapons?" Kyoko asked, putting on her most confident act.

Oh grinned. "None. No bending, no weapons, no tricks. Just force and agility."

Kyoko gritted her teeth but nodded. "Bring it on."

The captain laughed, moving away to let the fighter walk forward. It was the buffets man in their crew, four times Kyoko's size, _at a minimum_. He was bald and was missing one eye, replaced with a black stitch. He had many tattoos on his exposed torso and his arms, up to his neck. Two of them were the symbol of The Flying Snake Dragon, as well as the dragon that covered his entire left arm. The same tattoos as Kyoko.

"Kyoko, please," Zuko grabbed her arm again, trying his best to stop her, "don't do this. Go back to the ship, where is safe."

Kyoko shook her head and softened her eyes at him. "Thank you for caring, Zuko. Thank you... for everything." 

It sounded like a goodbye, but it was far from it. Kyoko was confident she will win. She won against stronger, more capable people. This? Child's play.

But, to her surprise, Zuko... cared. He really did. He brought her palm to his lips, giving it a soft kiss. "And we will talk about everything once this is over." He gave her the best smile he could, considering the scene that was about to happen. 

He was making her appear soft, but she didn't care. His affection made her feel... better. Maybe it was the boost she needed because when she turned to face the pirate, she had the biggest grin on her face.

"You want to go toes on toes with me?" Kyoko laughed. She let her jacket fall down her shoulders, followed closely by the bandages covering her tattoos. It disrespected the code not to uncover your tattoos - they were as important to a Dao Fei as a topknot was to a firebender.

She felt every single eye on her, but she was ready. She fought worse.

_And she won._

The man laughed and spat on the ground at her exposed feet. "Form a circle, pretty thing."

Kyoko glared at him but did as he asked. She formed a platform shaped like a circle, which was how the Earth Kingdom Dao Fei fought. The one to push the other out of the circle won.

"Begin." Captain Oh grinned, letting out a satisfied circle. "Xiao, make sure to leave something out of her. A limb or maybe the head, so we could give her mother."

"Shut your mouth!" Zuko yelled angrily, fireballs forming on his fists as he advanced towards the captain.

"No, Prince Zuko," Iroh pulled him back, "no one is allowed to fight at the same time as the duelers. It's in their code."

"I am not part of their stupid code-"

"Zuko!" Kyoko shouted at him as she and the large man stepped into the circle. "Stop."

Zuko remained silent, his eyes speaking for him. They were boiling with anger, worry, and... _fear_. Fear for her life.

The three teens tied down in front of Kyoko seemed to share the same looks, but Kyoko misted them out of her mind. She needed a clear mind.

The pirate and Kyoko circled each other, their dark skin glowing under the bright sun, emerald eyes burning into forest green eyes. She was smaller, weaker, but smarter and faster. She scanned him over and noticed he didn't seem to have any weakness in his pose. 

Well, that meant she had to fake an opening. She leaned her weight slightly on the left leg, pretending to be weaker on the right leg. The pirate, Xiao, noticed it as soon as she switched the weight, and that's all it took for him to charge. He let out an angry snarl, going straight towards her right leg.

It happened fast.

Kyoko moved right as he launched at her leg, and shifted all her weight on the right leg, with which she hit the man in the back of his left knee, making him lose his balance and fall face straight into the mud. 

The pirates all shouted in anger as Kyoko kicked the man in the back of his neck, then she turned him on his back, and pressed her leg on his chest, pushing hard enough to cut his air. 

"Enough!" Another pirate yelled.

The captain shook his head, admitting defeat. "It's over when the winner says it's over."

That's right. Kyoko already won. But her anger made her blind, again, and she only stepped away from the man when he was too weak to even move.

"Let that be a lesson for all of you, pathetic rats." She eyed the pirates with an expression that made her look less like herself, and more like her mother. "If you dare cross me again, what happened to Xiao would be a joke compared to what I'll do to you."

Kyoko grabbed her jacket from the ground, dusting it slightly, and as she put it on she noticed Zuko and Iroh giving her proud, relieved looks. They were... proud of her. And that alone made her feel so confident, it was almost surreal.

"You fucking bitch!" The pirate who shouted at her started yelling, taking out his sword and pointing it at her back, even more than two meters away from her. "You're a fucking slut. How dare you act like you own even half of your mother's power? You're nothing compared to Gemma and Jianyu. You've always been a burden to them, to us, to all the Flying Snake Dragons. That's why they left you to die in Zhao's cells. Bet you enjoyed that, didn't you?" He laughed, so cruelly it made Kyoko - who froze in her tracks- feel unstoppable tears forming in her tired eyes. "You enjoyed being imprisoned there, huh? Being Zhao's whore. I bet you looked better with his cock in your mouth then you'll ever look with a sword in your hand." He spat on the ground.

It was as if time stood still. She could see Zuko sending a whip of fire at the man, blocked by the man's sword. She could hear the avatar and his friends all yelling at the pirates, and Iroh trying to help his nephew, although there was fury in his eyes directed at the pirates. All hell broke loose. The avatar and his friends managed to free themselves, heading towards the girl to grab her and escape.

Her seismic sense told her the pirate who just insulted her to the point of tears managed to escape Zuko's whip and was heading towards her with the sword in his hand, ready to strike her, or even behead her. 

And at that moment, Kyoko allowed her to think less like herself, and more like her family. Taking her fans out of her jacket in record time, she felt the earth breathing under her feet at the same time as she did. All she needed was a pebble. A pebble that she shaped like a blade, and turning around with her fans pointed forward, the blade cut through the pirate's neck almost elegantly, forming a perfect line along his throat. 

As the man fell on his back, blood pouring from his cutthroat like rain, the battlefield fell silent. Everyone stopped, staring at each with a different emotion. But Kyoko paid them no mind. She had enough of them, of their barbaric, taunting faces that followed her since she was a child. Their hands groping her body even as a child, their mocking tones and cruel laughs, everything about these pirates disgusted and infuriated Kyoko. And as soon as she spilled the blood of one of them, she became insatiable.

The earth shook, making everyone lose their balance. Everyone but her. Rocks the size of adult flying bisons rose on either side of her, ready to crush the pirates until nothing but dust remained to them. That was her intention until she felt two arms around her waist pulling her after the person.

"Come on," Sokka whispered in her ear as the pirates continued to fight Zuko and his guards, "let's get out of here!"

She spared Zuko and Iroh one last look as Sokka pulled her after him towards Aang and Katara, who were climbing the pirates' ship. Kyoko slammed her feet on the ground, and a column of earth sent them right in the middle of the ship. They helped Aang and Katara up, and as the pirates yelled and headed straight towards them, Katara waterbended the ship forward, while Kyoko bended earth columns around the ship, stopping the pirates from following.

They almost laughed in victory, until Sokka's face fell as he pointed forward. Great, Kyoko groaned.

_A waterfall._

"Don't worry," Aang shouted, "I've got this!" He started blowing on a flute, much to Kyoko's absolute shock.

"How is that supposed to help?!"

"Wait for it!" The avatar encouraged.

"We can stop the boat!" Katara turned towards the Avatar. "Aang, together, push and pull the water!" They created a small Whirlpool that stopped the boat. "It's working, it's slowing down! We're doing it!"

"But we have another problem." Sokka gasped, and Kyoko turned around to look at where he pointed. _Z_ uko's boat was sailing straight toward their ship. The boat slammed into the ship and Kyoko. Sokka, Aang, and Katara were forced to jump as the boat went over the falls.

Kyoko has been closed to dying before. She managed to escape, barely, every time. This time, however, she had absolutely no idea how she was going to make it out of there. 

She felt two arms from distinct people grab her hands and hold them tight, as the flying bison flew right towards them. Then with a jump, they made it right into its saddle. 

Kyoko let out a cry as she realized she was _flying_. The three simply chuckled, sighing in relief to be safe and sound again.

"I knew a bison whistle would come in handy! Thanks, Appa." The avatar patted the bison's fur gratefully, as Kyoko dropped on her back, a hand covering her stomach as she struggled to breathe properly.

"Yeah, we owe you one." Sokka laughed. Then his eyes fell on Kyoko, and everyone remained silent. "Are you alright, Kyoko?"

The girl nodded, struggling to stand, her back rested against the saddle. "Yes. Thank you for saving me."

The three nodded, smiling at her. Then, slowly, they approached the girl, pulling her into a tight hug.

"I promised we'll get you out, didn't I?" Sokka chuckled, patting her back. "Welcome to Team Avatar. Sponsored by Appa and Momo."

Kyoko chuckled, closing her eyes as she took in the warm embraces from the people she should have joined ages ago.

"I'm glad to be part of your team, finally." She smiled. She couldn't help but wonder what Zuko must be thinking at that moment.

Everything changed at that moment. Kyoko finally felt she was where she was meant to be, joining Team Avatar.

But her heart couldn't help but long for the boy she kissed not even two hours earlier.

Unknown to her, Zuko watched the bison fly away with narrowed eyes. For a mere moment, when he spotted the ship falling in the waterfall, his heart stopped. He only recovered from his growing pain when he saw the bison and Kyoko standing in its saddle with the avatar and his _friends_.

All the anger he felt towards her vanished as if it was never there, to begin with. All he could think about was her eyes as he leaned in to kiss her. The same eyes that struggled to hold back tears when that bastard pirate insulted her so disrespectfully Zuko saw red as he charged towards him. And the same eyes that turned to cold stone as she killed the bastard. 

His hesitation vanished. Zuko was going to get her back, and he was going to confess. 

_He fell for her, and there was no going back._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you are annoyed by Kyoko's actions, it's okay. It's barely the ninth chapter, out of many to come. There is room for character development, and at the moment Kyoko is lonely and confused and doesn't trust her own feelings. She wanted to kiss Zuko, but her rational mind told her not to. Judging by the conditions she grew up with, I think she is pretty justified to feel this way.  
> Let me know what you guys think ^_^


	10. You choose your own family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kyoko gets to know her new friends better.

<https://open.spotify.com/track/5MxNLUsfh7uzROypsoO5qe?si=OKMnIOq2RaSATF0-7zfG-A>

_'Yeah, I know nobody knows_   
_Where it comes and where it goes_   
_I know it's everybody's sin_   
_You got to lose to know how to win'_

The sun was brighter than on any other day of that month, shining its warmth towards the earth and the ocean surface. The flowers were gently moving with the wind, the green of nature overwhelming those around with a happy feeling.

Kyoko woke up without any nightmares, the sun rays becoming too bright for her to sleep. She let out a yawn, rubbing at her eyes as she stood, looking around with blurry eyes. 

Aang was sleeping in the middle, with Appa behind him. Sokka was snoring to her left, with Momo curled between the two. And Katara... 

Well, she wasn't there. 

Kyoko yawned again and felt around with her feet. She sighed when she felt Katara near the river and earthbended herself right behind her, using the earth like a tunnel. 

Katara jumped with a little yell as Kyoko walked next to her, and calmed down slowly after. 

"I haven't noticed you coming." She explained, giving the earthbender a small smile.

"No." Kyoko nodded. "I tunnel bended." She chuckled. Noticing Katara's confusion, Kyoko demonstrated again. The ground swallowed her, and let her out a few meters to the left. 

Katara's jaw hit the ground. "You can do that?!" She exclaimed, a big smile appearing on her face. "Wow..."

Then her smile wiped down as soon as she stared at the still river. "Meanwhile I can barely make a water bubble." She sighed, prompting herself on the wet ground.

Kyoko hesitated, not sure where she stood on their friendship page. Were they close enough to give advice or hug or stand close? Did Katara even like her? No, perhaps not. But then again, she did seem happy to see her - well, that was because pirates and firebenders surrounded her. Ugh, why were relations so complicated?

Noticing her hesitation, Katara patted the ground next to her. "You can sit."

Kyoko almost smiled as she sat down next to Katara. She looked a lot like her ex-girlfriend, Min, who was also a waterbender. Many thought Min and Kanna were related because they were both waterbenders and they looked pretty much alike, very tall, with the same dark skin tone and bright ocean eyes. They had the same posture and constant smirks, as well as the same way of talking.

Not because they were related, but because they were the only waterbenders in The Flying Snake Dragons. Kanna raised Min ever since they found her on the streets when she was four, and pretty much became her adoptive mother. Everything Min knew was all from Kanna. 

"You're a great earthbender." Katara praised, but her tone was sad. Kyoko turned to look at the girl, but Katara's eyes were fixed on the water in front of them.

"You know, I struggled with my element my entire life. Until a month ago, I couldn't even bend small rocks unless I was in the greatest danger."

Katara turned to look at Kyoko as if she said the weirdest thing in the world. "You...? But, you fight so well! Especially when you... well, yesterday, with that pirate... and then the one who insulted you..."

Katara looked at her feet, avoiding Kyoko's eyes as if she insulted her. Kyoko, however, didn't want Katara to stop talking. As long as Katara did the talking, she couldn't embarrass herself with her poor attempts at keeping a conversation going.

"It took years of practicing on my own."

Katara looked back at her with wide eyes. "You... learned on your own? Without a master?"

The earthbender let out a small laugh. "As if a master could have the patience to teach me." She chuckled, and Katara let out a small chuckle too as if Kyoko's laugh was contagious. "My mother and my brother are great earthbenders. I just wanted to bend like them, so I struggled to teach myself."

Katara stretched her legs forward, placing her hands on either side of her hips. "Really? Your family didn't teach you?"

Kyoko shook her head. "I found out I was an earthbender very late. It was because of an accident, and my family was so horrified, they refused to teach me anything. That and the fact that my entire childhood and teen years the only thing I could bend were very large amounts of earth and rocks and crystals. From plateaus to mountains. I lacked precision and discipline. The only thing that helped me was war fans, like my great grandmother before me."

"So... that's why you use fans in your bending?"

Kyoko nodded, taking out a fan. "It helps me direct my bending. I couldn't bend anything smaller than a house without them before, until... Iroh helped me learn how to bend the smallest things, like pebbles, and even sand... well, I haven't tried sand yet, but I really should."

Katara frowned at the mention of the firebender. "Isn't he evil? And a firebender?"

"Well, he _is_ a firebender, a master that is. But he is also a wise old man with a passion for tea and yearning for peace. And he studied bending his entire life, from fire to earth and water. A master isn't only someone who can bend well an element... it's someone who _understands_ the element. And no one does it better than him."

Katara thought over the words for a moment, before she slowly nodded. "So, I have to understand water, rather than try to control it? I have to connect with it, rather than manipulate it after my will."

Kyoko nodded, giving the girl a small smile. "Precisely." 

Katara nodded, giving Kyoko a smile of her own. "That makes sense. Do you mind if I try it now?"

Kyoko widened her eyes and jumped to her feet. Of course, Katara wanted to practice, most likely alone. Kyoko shouldn't have bothered the girl, to begin with.

"Is something wrong?" Katara asked, also jumping to her feet, concerned. "Kyoko?"

Kyoko shook her head, taking a step back. "Sorry, Katara. You were practicing and I shouldn't have bothered you. I apologize... I'll just go."

The girl turned around, embarrassed with herself. She really needed to learn how to mind her own business and stop bugging in annoying everyone. Especially those people who she barely knew their names, yet they were kind enough to let her join them.

Kyoko stopped, frozen in her tracks when Katara's hand grabbed her own, gently. "Kyoko..." Her voice was different than the one Kyoko heard many times before... worried and anxious, or completely angry. "Kyoko... stay."

Kyoko turned around slowly, her green eyes meeting Katara's bright blue ones. They were kind, honest, and... beautiful. 

"You... you want me to stay?" Kyoko gasped. She was so used to people pushing her aside, she couldn't imagine why Katara would want her around while doing something that meant a lot to her.

"Why wouldn't I?" Katara intertwined their hands. "I wanted you to join us ever since Kyoshi Island. Now that you're finally here, I can't wait for us to spend time together." Katara looked at their hands, a small blush appearing on her face. "I've never had a friend before, other than my brother and Aang. and I've never had a friend that was a girl." 

Kyoko stared at the waterbender completely still for a moment, and Katara blushed in embarrassment, thinking she went too far. 

Neither of the girls expected Kyoko to suddenly place her other hand on Katara's waist, pulling the waterbender closer, in what appeared to be an awkward hug. 

"I'd love to be your friend." The earthbender whispered, patting Katara's back awkwardly.

Katara gasped, her eyes wide as she felt Kyoko pressed against her body before a smile appeared on her face. She wrapped one hand around Kyoko's waist, and another around her neck. Katara rested her head on Kyoko's shoulder, letting out a giggle that made Kyoko smile as she wrapped her arms properly around Katara. 

"I'd love to be your friend as well," Katara whispered in the girl's ear, closing her eyes as she took in the girl's warmth. A blush appeared on Katara's face...

A blush she had no idea what it meant, or why was there.

But she was soon going to figure it out.

*

Kyoko yawned, turning from one side to another, struggling to fall asleep. It seemed to get harder and harder for her to fall asleep ever since she joined her new friends. It wasn't so hard back when she was on Zuko's ship. She knew she was, in one way or another, safe.

But here, the slight hesitation meant they could be caught. Everything seemed to be against them - and Kyoko couldn't help but feel as if she was on the run from her mother again, the same as before she went on Zuko's ship.

She almost laughed at the memory. It seemed to be so long since that happened - but it was barely a month and a half. Kyoko sighed at the memory of Zuko.

What was he thinking? Did he hate her? Did he wish for her to go back? Was he sorry?

 _Was she sorry_?

She groaned. Feelings were so hard! Did she like him that way? Did he like her in that way? They kissed, but what if he only did it to try - and he wasn't satisfied? 

She enjoyed the kiss, of that much she was sure. She could still feel his lips on her, his hands grabbing her sides gently, then their hold becoming stronger by the passing moment. She wanted to kiss him again, she wanted his hands to dig in her sides until bruises formed. _She wanted more. She wanted him_.

And she'll never have him again - it was all her fault.

Kyoko sighed again, turning on her back. It seemed like falling asleep that night was out of the question.

She felt someone shift next to her, and she didn't need to look to know it was Sokka. She only spent one week with the three, but she could tell who was who simply by feeling with her feet. She couldn't thank The Blind Bandit enough for teaching her seismic sense. It was truly a blessing.

"Can't sleep either?" She asked, bending a small earth column to rest her back against.

Sokka sighed, resting on his back next to her. 

"I suppose. It's been hard for me to sleep lately."

Kyoko sighed, looking up at the bright moonlight. It brought memories of her night on the deck with Zuko. The night when they became friends.

The night when she felt her first butterflies around him.

"Why?" She asked, placing her palms on the ground. 

Sokka remained silent for a moment, and Kyoko almost apologized for intruding.

Then, he turned his head towards her, his eyes shining in the pale moonlight. "It's different from my home."

"Oh." Kyoko looked at him with pity in her eyes.

"Yeah," he sighed, "and the fact that we're on the run from the Fire Nation. It's not safe anywhere anymore. Not that it was that safe home either."

Kyoko quirked a brow. From what she heard, the Water Tribes were much safer than the Earth Kingdom, by far. "It wasn't?"

Sokka scoffed, but the anger wasn't directed towards her. "The Fire Nation killed all the waterbenders from the South Pole. Katara was the last waterbender home. That's why she hasn't mastered it yet... she taught herself everything."

Kyoko's expression hardened. "The Fire Nation needs to be stopped."

"Tell me about it. As soon as Aang masters the fourth elements, we're off to kill that bastard. The Firelord."

Kyoko nodded, closing her fists. "It would be my pleasure to punch him in the face."

Sokka chuckled, turning on his side to look at her better. "What about his son?"

If Kyoko was drinking water, she would've spat it all on his face. That's how unprepared she was for the question. "Zuko? What about him?"

Sokka grinned. "Are you going to punch him too?"

It was Kyoko's turn to grin. "I already had." She remembered the times they spared, almost daily. It was their excuse to spend more time around each other - not that they would have admitted it to the other, but they both knew the truth. Iroh himself pointed it out, so it must have been pretty obvious.

Sokka let out a laugh that became so familiar to Kyoko's ears lately in the past week. It made her relax, smile even.

"You're pretty awesome, you know that?" Sokka added after a moment. When Kyoko arched a brow at him, confused, he went on. "You win every single fight I've ever seen you in." He praised, his tone serious yet friendly. "You're a badass."

"A badass?" Kyoko laughed. "Thank you." She grinned. "You're pretty badass too."

Sokka grinned back, wiggling his eyebrows. "I am, huh?"

"Yeah," Kyoko taunted, "it's not every day you see a Water Tribe boy dressed in a dress, with makeup and fans, fight Fire Nation soldiers to protect a random island."

Sokka's ears turned red at the memory, and he scoffed. "Oh come on, forget that." 

Kyoko laughed harder, and Sokka followed shortly. 

"I mean it, Kyoko," he struggled to say between laughs, "slow down or you'll wake up the others."

She grinned. "I can't wait to share with them why I am laughing, then."

Sokka only turned redder, scoffing under his breath. He laughed again, harder than before when Kyoko let out an amusing snort.

"That's how you snort?" He laughed his guts off, "oh my spirits." He wiped a stray tear from his cheek, "oh, oh" he struggled to breathe properly. "Do it again! Do it again _please!"_

Kyoko rolled her eyes, laughing loudly at her own foolishness. Unintentionally, she snorted again, letting out a weird sound that reminded her _very_ much of a piggie. 

Both of them went on laughing louder than before, and they only calmed down when Aang groaned in his sleep and Katara yelled at them to calm down before she splashes them with cold water.

They remained silent, not wanting to mess with a sleepy, angry Katara. That was scary enough to have them go back to sleep without a second thought.

They stared at one another from their sleeping bags, both sharing a large grin. 

"Goodnight, Kyoko." Sokka yawned.

"Goodnight, Sokka." Kyoko followed.

They stared at one another for a moment, ocean blue meeting emerald green.

When Kyoko closed her eyes, she fell asleep faster than she thought possible.

Perhaps all she needed to do was relax, and trust that she was not alone anymore.

She was around her _friends_.

*

One week later, they were preparing their camp, and tasks were shared. Sokka was going to start the fire, Katara prepared some soup, Kyoko was gathering wood for the fire, and Aang was looking for berries and nuts for their journey the next morning.

Momo stood on Kyoko's shoulders as the earthbender wandered in the forest, searching for good wood and some plants they could use for tea. Kyoko chuckled, remembering Uncle Iroh's passion for tea, which her mother shared. Kyoko wasn't as fond of it as the two were, but she enjoyed it too in considerable amounts.

Momo chirped as Kyoko bended the earth up to grab the wood. She didn't want to lean in to take it, in order not to disturb Momo too much. Ever since she joined Team Avatar, Momo took an instant liking to her, clinging to her shoulders all day long. It was nice, Kyoko thought. She never had a pet to like her before - she always considered herself to be absolutely terrible with animals. Momo was, obviously, the first exception.

"Ugh..." She heard, a little to her left. Kyoko chuckled as she spotted the avatar struggling with a bush of berries. 

Aang turned around, startled, but relaxed as he saw Kyoko approaching him. "Hi, Kyoko." 

Kyoko smiled. "Avatar." She bowed her head, and Aang giggled.

"You can just call me Aang." He smiled. 

Kyoko blushed. "Oh. Right. Erm, hi, Aang." She cleared her throat, looking away from him in embarrassment. She eyed the bush he struggled with and let out a laugh.

"That's thorny honey." She informed.

Aang rubbed the back of his neck in confusion. "Thorny... honey? Thorny? What kind of name is that?"

"Well, as you most likely noticed, the berries are surrounded by thorns. It's difficult to pick, especially at night, but the fruit is delicious. It's very sweet, like..."

"Honey?" Aang giggled, leaning in to take a better look at the bush. "So, how do you properly pick them? You know, without cutting your fingers or something."

"Hmm," Kyoko caressed her chin. "My mother's girlfriend, Kanna, used to take me and my brother to pick berries all the time. These were her favorite since they are berries you only find in very few forests around the Earth Kingdom."

"You have a brother?" Aang asked enthusiastically. "I always wanted a sibling."

"Yeah," Kyoko sighed, "he is my older and only brother. His name is Jianyu."

"Jianyu..." Aang whispered, remembering the name that rude pirate mentioned when he insulted Kyoko. He told her she'll never be anything like her mother or Jianyu. Aang wanted to ask her more about it, but he decided otherwise. It wasn't his place to ask Kyoko personal questions. He just wished that, in time, they'll grow close enough to talk about their families or their cultures. Aang was aware of Kyoko's background - she was a Dao Fei. He wasn't going to judge her, of course. Her past was hers alone, and he had no right to dismiss someone over something they couldn't help, like the family you were born into.

"Right." Kyoko laughed. "I remember now." She kneeled in front of the brush, taking off her hand wrappings as Momo jumped on the ground between the two. "You have to caress the bush at the roots. The thorns will retreat for exactly a minute before they'll grow back. We have to be fast." She looked up at the avatar with a smile. "Think you can manage?"

Aang gave her a toothy grin. "I was born ready!" He laughed, opening the bag he already gathered some cranberries and blueberries in. 

"Okay... here goes nothing." Kyoko started caressing the roots, her palms covered in the hand wrappings, and as soon as the thorns retreated, the two were on the berries, taking as many as possible before the thorns reappeared. They must have picked at least a pound of berries before the thorns cut through their fingers. They pulled away fast, yelping as blood poured from their small wounds on their hands.

They started laughing at each other as the pain eased. 

"Try it." Kyoko took out a fist of berries from the bag. Aang sat down next to her as Momo served himself a few berries from Kyoko's hand. The berries were golden, and the size of small plums. Aang closed his eyes as he tasted the fruit, and when he opened them his smile was twice as big as usual. 

"Those are delicious!" His eyes seemed to form hearts as he grabbed two more berries from the girl's hand, causing Kyoko to laugh wholeheartedly, something she hasn't done in ages. 

She took a berry and popped it in her mouth, closing her eyes as she tasted the sweet juice of the fruit.

"They taste..." _Like home_ , she wanted to say but stopped. Some things felt more real if you kept them in the comfort of being the only one to share them. Some things were better shared alone. "Good." She finished her sentence, standing up. "We should go back." She picked the wood she previously placed on the ground in her arms.

Aang followed shortly, grabbing his glider and the bag of berries. His eyes fell on her tattoos as they walked. He talked before he could stop himself. "I really like your tattoos." He said and widened his eyes in shock at himself. He didn't know if they were something personal to her - and she did cover them all the time.

To his surprise, Kyoko only chuckled. "Thanks. I really like your tattoos too."

Aang smiled brightly, feeling relieved and light in the stomach. "Thank you, Kyoko. They mean a lot to my culture."

The girl nodded. "The air nomads. Kanna used to tell me stories she heard from her grandmother about the air nomads when she was small. She thought it was important for me and my brother to learn about your culture since we have air nomad blood in our heritage. Well, very, very distant air nomad heritage... if it's considered air nomad anymore. She wasn't particularly spiritual..."

"You have air nomad heritage?" Aang gasped, his eyes seeming to glow. "You do?!"

Kyoko nodded. "My mother's grandmother was Avatar Kyoshi." She said, casually. "Kyoshi's mother was an air nomad from the Eastern Air Temple... although her spiritual bond was broken when she became a Dao Fei." She sighed. "I guess it runs in the family."

Aang froze in his tracks as if a lightning bolt struck him. "Your... your great grandmother... is my past life? You're directly related to Kyoshi!" He widened his eyes the size of onions. Then, to Kyoko's surprise, his arms wrapped around her waist, hugging her so tightly her air was almost cut.

"You're family," Aang whispered, tears forming in his eyes. "The closest thing to a family that I have left..." 

Kyoko looked down at the boy with shock, which soon turned to sadness and pity. "Aang..." She whispered, her voice filled with compassion.

Aang pulled away, looking down at his feet. "Sorry. That was uncalled for, sorry..." He apologized. He gasped as she gently wiped the tears off his face with her thumbs. 

Her timid smile warmed his heart, and he let out a sob. "I'm sorry. It just... it hurt to see my friends, my people gone... I never met my parents, but I considered the monks my family. And they were gone when I woke up from the iceberg. It's been one hundred years, but to me, it felt only like a day. Yesterday they were there... today they're... dead. Erased from the earth... along with my culture... everything is gone." He shook his head as he felt more tears fall. 

It broke Kyoko's heart to see such a happy, always smiling kid, break down and cry. The burden he must feel was something that would never leave him, no matter how many years passed. What was she even supposed to say? 'Sorry' seemed to be a mockery of how she felt for the boy. 

She wrapped her hands around his shoulders and pulled him in the warmest hug she ever had. "Aang... don't you dare apologize. You're absolutely allowed to feel this way, no matter what you may think... I am so sorry about what you are going through, and I know that no matter what I say it won't make it stop hurting. I am so sorry Aang." 

She gently pulled back far enough for her to look directly into his puffy, watery eyes. "I know that nothing could ever replace what you lost. But know this... you're not alone. You have Katara and Sokka, and Momo and Appa... and you have me too. That's it... if you want me to be here for you. If you allow me to be your friend..."

Aang nodded, letting out a sob. "Of course... I'd love that. For us to be close friends, best friends. My friends are my family just as much as the monks are."

He pulled her back in their hug, finally relaxing, his tears stopping from falling. "You choose your own family..."

Kyoko smiled, closing her eyes. "Thank you, Aang. For allowing me to be your friend. For _choosing_ to be my friend."

His words spoke in her mind even when they returned to the camp, even when they ate, and fell asleep, and woke up the next morning. 

_You choose your own family._


	11. Instincts are a bitch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kyoko was definitely not expecting to have a run-in with her ex.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slight NSFW I guess? I'll mark it so you can skip it if you don't feel comfortable reading it. Also, this chapter took forever to write. I can't wait to reach the third book.

<https://open.spotify.com/track/5f3eBBn1yGLRtpT4n5GrgU?si=LaWFXigIQnC2cWhEWG9qZQ>

_'Sell me your lies_   
_Tell me you'll fix it_   
_I try and I tried_   
_But you never listen'_

Kyoko wanted to sleep. More than usual.

She felt unusually tired, something that never bothered her before. The forest they were wandering left her anxious for whatever reason. It seemed familiar, but she couldn't really put her finger on it - what was it that it reminded her of? 

Kyoko let out a yawn as Aang freed Momo and a few other animals that managed to get themselves caught in cheap traps. Not that Kyoko could judge them, of course. She, too, got herself caught more often than anyone would like to admit.

As soon as the animals were free, Sokka kneeled in front of the cages, examining them with narrowed eyes.

"These are Fire Nation traps, you can tell from the metalwork." He met Kyoko's eyes, and she nodded. "We better pack up camp, and get moving."

They gathered their things as quickly as possible, and as soon as Kyoko approached Appa's saddle, she felt her body give in as if her knees melted under her weight.

"Kyoko!" Sokka shouted, dropping his bag to help Kyoko up, his arms curling around her waist. "What's wrong?"

"Are you alright?" Katara followed shortly after her brother, grabbing Kyoko's hands to check for any injuries.

"What happened?" Aang asked, holding his glider tightly in his hand as he stepped between Katara and Sokka.

Kyoko shook her head, feeling nauseous. "Nothing. I'm fine." She waved them off, stepping away from the three. Kyoko wasn't, in fact, fine, and the other three realized it as quickly as she did when she fell on the ground, face first in the dirt.

"Alright," she groaned against the dirty ground, "I may not be as fine as I thought."

"Oh, Kyoko," Katara's eyes checked her again for any injuries as soon as Aang and Sokka helped the girl out, Sokka not letting go of the girl's arm even when Aang stepped back. "Have you been sleeping enough lately?"

Kyoko shook her head, grabbing Sokka's free arm to keep herself up. "I don't know."

Katara stepped forward, her hands cupping Kyoko's face. "Look at you, you look so tired... there are dark circles under your eyes." Her thumbs caressed Kyoko's cheeks gingerly.

"Why haven't you been sleeping?" Sokka asked, his palm rubbing her shoulder in what he thought was the best way to show he cared about her. Because he truly did.

"I..." Kyoko groaned as her headache only got worse. "I am worried that something will happen - an ambush, or... or..." She closed her eyes, taking in the siblings' warmth as they almost pressed her between them. Aang looked at her with worry and concern in his eyes, but there was an emotion he couldn't _yet_ identify as he watched Katara's close contact with Kyoko. It made his stomach hurt.

"Hey," Sokka stopped her, tilting his head to look her straight in the eyes, "you don't have to worry so much about everything. We're _fine_. You need to rest."

Katara and Sokka shared a look before they each took one of Kyoko's arms and helped her to Appa. 

"Come on." Katara encouraged Kyoko as they came to a stop right next to the bison. "Get on Appa's saddle and _sleep_. We will wake you up for lunch, alright?" Katara's hand found its way to Kyoko's back, caressing it fondly.

For whatever reason, it made both Kyoko and Katara blush. 

"I don't need sleep. Besides, having me awake in case of an ambush is our best chance out. Especially in a forest where a firebender can cause more damage to their surroundings rather than to their victims."

The water tribe siblings shook their heads at the same time, their expressions were serious and concerned. Kyoko sighed in defeat - there was no point in trying to argue with any of them.

" _Fine_ , but you wake me up in case anything happens - Sokka stop scoffing, I mean it! - alright?"

Aang, Sokka, and Katara shared a pointed look and nodded at the girl. 

With a sigh, Kyoko climbed Appa with fewer struggles than she thought it'd take. As soon as her head rested on the small pillow thrown in the saddle, she was fast asleep.

Three hours later, she awoke to the sound of voices. Of course, Katara and Sokka and couldn't go a minute without arguing.

"Who made you the boss?" Katara shouted at Sokka.

Sokka pointed a finger to his chest. "I'm not the boss, I'm the _leader_."

Katara laughed, mockingly. "You're the leader? But your voice still cracks!"

"I'm the oldest, and I'm a warrior, so," Sokka deepened his voice to prove his point, "I'm the leader!"

"If anyone's the leader, it's Aang. I mean he _is_ the Avatar."

Kyoko didn't need to look at them to know Sokka had the most offended expression on his face. "Are you kidding, he's just a goofy kid!"

"He's right." Aang giggled.

"Well, what about Kyoko?! She's the oldest _and_ the strongest."

Sokka groaned in defeat. "Fine. She can be the leader, but not today. Today she's not well, so I am showing my kindness by taking her place."

Katara groaned in annoyance. "Ugh! Why do boys always think someone has to be the leader? I bet you wouldn't be so bossy if you kissed a girl."

Sokka scoffed in defense. "I've kissed a girl, you just haven't met her."

"Who? Gran-Gran? I've met Gran-Gran."

If Kyoko wasn't struggling to fall back to sleep, she would've laughed. But she couldn't be bothered to do such an effort.

Sokka threw his arms in the air, glaring at Katara. "No! Besides Gran-Gran."

Katara crossed her arms, arching a brow at Sokka. "Who, Kyoko? You know fantasies don't count, right?"

Sokka let out a groan so loud, if Kyoko wasn't asleep before, she surely was after that.

"Look, my instincts tell me we have a better chance of slipping through on foot, and a leader has to trust his instincts. Besides, Kyoko is asleep on Appa, and if we all climb in the saddle she'll wake up and won't sleep again." Sokka spoke in a 'know-it-all' tone, completely avoiding Katara's previous statement or the grin she was giving him.

"Okay, we'll try it your way, oh wise leader." 

Aang smiled, twirling his glider around. "Who knows? Walking might be fun."

Another hour passed, in which Kyoko still didn't manage to fall back asleep. Her head was aching in pain, and she was so tired, her eyes could barely decipher anything. Everything was in a blur.

"Walking stinks!" Aang whined. "How do people go anywhere without a flying bison?"

"Well, I don't know, Aang. Why don't you ask Sokka's instincts? They seem to know everything."

"Ha, ha, very funny." Sokka rolled his eyes, completely annoyed. 

Aang, to Kyoko's annoyance, whined again. "I'm tired of carrying this pack."

"You know who you should ask to carry it for a while? Sokka's instincts."

Sokka glared at his sister, irritated. 

Aang, however, seemed obvious to Sokka's anger. "That's a great idea. Hey, Sokka's instincts, would you mind-"

"Hei, Sokka's instincts," Kyoko glowered, glaring at them from the saddle, "mind keeping it down?"

The three gulped upon noticing the irritated look on the girl's face. 

Sokka was the first to speak after a moment of complete silence. "Okay, okay, I get it. Look, guys, I'm tired too. But the important thing is that we're safe from the" He pushed aside a bush, and froze as he stared at the occupied clearing, "Fire... Nation..."

There was a Fire Nation campsite with a lot of soldiers; most of them were seated or crouched near the fire with bowls in hand and a couple of them sat close to the tents, which had the Fire Nation emblem on the door flap. They all noticed the group and got up.

Kyoko jumped down from the saddle, not paying attention to how exhausted her body was. They were in danger, and she had to save them, no matter what.

"Run!" Sokka yelled, turning around and grabbing Katara and Kyoko with him, Aang running in the front.

Well, that was the plan, until a firebender formed a fire circle around them, completely blocking them.

Kyoko wished now more than ever that she mastered earthbending properly. She could tunnel bend herself, but she never tried it with more than one person. She couldn't possibly tunnel bend herself along with three other people, a lemur, and a freaking bison, all in record time. 

Kyoko was, to put it as nicely as possible, _useless_.

She took out her fans, taking a fighting stance. If she went down, she'll go down fighting.

She was onto them, bending rocks and pebbles at them, which they easily dodged. They had more experience fighting earthbenders than Kyoko had with fighting firebenders. They were all rested and ate well, while Kyoko was starving, and could barely see what she was doing due to her headache.

That didn't mean she'll go down without fighting.

"If you let us pass, we promise not to hurt you," Sokka shouted, trying to bluff to help Kyoko and Katara, who were fighting the soldiers.

"What are you doing?" Katara whispered to him.

"Bluffing" Sokka whispered back, and Kyoko almost facepalmed. 

" _You_ promise not to hurt _us_?" One of them laughed.

Then... he was knocked down. 

The four stared at one another, shocked. "Uh, Sokka, how did you do that?"

"Uh, instinct?" Sokka laughed nervously.

Kyoko rolled her eyes, not paying attention to what they said anymore.

"He might have promised not to hurt you," Kyoko grinned, her fans open widely in her hands, "but I will make no such promises." 

She slammed her foot on the ground, and the earth swallowed the closest soldiers, five of them, up to their necks. 

Kyoko gasped, taking aback. She... did that? She... buried them almost completely?

In her astonishment, she didn't notice the soldiers being knocked down around, nor did she noticed the firebender that sent a wave of fire at her feet. Before she knew what was happening, she dropped on the ground, with someone standing on top of her back, blocking her air.

Kyoko struggled to breathe, and in one swift movement, she switched places with the person on top. Her metal fans open, she was ready to slam the weapon in her attacker's face, when she froze, her fans falling from her hands.

It's been a very long time, but she'd recognize that face everywhere. Especially that stupid piece of wheat he always kept between his lips. 

" _Jet_." She gasped, not able to comprehend what was happening. So that's' why these woods seemed so familiar. _She lived here before._

"Hi, _baby_." He grinned, his hands grabbing her thighs curled around his torso, and squeezing them. "I missed you."

"Who's that?" Aang asked as they approached Kyoko and Jet. Kyoko gasped, grabbing her fans and standing up as quickly as possible. She looked around, noticing that all the guards were taken down.

She must have been really tired because she barely felt anything with her seismic sense at the moment. Or maybe her powers were more slippery than she'd thought.

"You two just took out a whole army almost single-handed." Aang praised the two, wearing his usual warm smile.

Sokka scoffed, pissed off. "Army? There were only like, twenty guys." 

"Hei Sokka, it's fine." Kyoko patted his shoulder, avoiding Jet's sight like the plague. "You fought well too."

He didn't, but Kyoko wasn't going to upset him by telling the truth. Not when he seemed so happy, blushing at her praise as if she just proposed to him or something. What was with him acting so weird around her lately?

Oh well, that was a problem for another time, Kyoko decided.

"My name is Jet, and these are my Freedom Fighters, Sneers, Longshot, Smellerbee, The Duke, and Pipsqueak."

Kyoko looked behind him, finally noticing the Freedom Fighters, aka her old friends. A smile appeared on her face.

"Hi, guys. Long time no see." she greeted, and the children all smiled at the sight of her, Smellerbee the widest.

"Well look at you, Kyo, have you grown taller?" The girl greeted back.

"Hm, I think it's you grew shorter." 

The girls grinned at one another, and after a short moment, they stepped closer, hugging each other like sisters. It's been long since Kyoko has seen such a familiar face.

"You know each other?" Katara asked, with a tone that Kyoko hasn't heard before. Did it sound almost... envious?

"Of course." Smellerbee grinned. "We go way back. Back when Kyoko and Jet were still-"

"Anyway," Kyoko cleared her throat, stepping back next to Aang, "We should get going."

"Leaving so soon?" Jet quirked a brow at the girl. "We were waiting to ambush those soldiers all morning, we just needed the right distraction, and then you guys stumbled in. We should be thanking you." Jet stared at them all, different than how he recently gazed at Kyoko. "Why don't you spend some time around? We have beds and food."

"Why are you so friendly?" Sokka narrowed his eyes, eyeing Jet suspiciously.

Jet only grinned wider. "Any friend of Kyoko's is a friend of ours."

"Seriously," Katara chimed in again, "how do you guys know each other?"

Kyoko cleared her throat, staring at Jet with a barely noticeable blush on her cheeks.

"Oh, she didn't tell you about me?" Jet taunted, his eyes burning into Kyoko's.

"She should've?" Sokka crossed his arms, still glaring at the boy with wheat in his mouth. 

"I'd say so." Jet stepped closer to them, his brown eyes never leaving Kyoko's. "I'm her boyfriend."

Kyoko has never felt as exposed as she did at that moment, with all eyes on her filled with mixed feelings. The freedom fighters all seemed happy to see their old friends, but her new friends were staring at her as if she grew two heads. Aang was just smiling, happy that Kyoko had someone. Sokka and Katara, on the other hand, were turning red for an unknown reason.

" _Ex-boyfriend_ ," Kyoko blushed, glaring at Jet, "he's my _ex_."

Katara seemed to relax, and Sokka let out a relieved sigh. They both turned to stare at one another in confusion at the other's reaction and blushed as they looked away. This was definitely a conversation they weren't keen on having.

"You say _ex_ as if we actually broke up when you left." Jet taunted, placing his arms over Kyoko's shoulders. The girl froze, memories of her past relationship flashing through her mind. For a moment, she almost forgot about her previously discovered feelings for Zuko - seeing Jet had that effect on her. Not that she liked him any more, or that she ever liked him that much to begin with, but he brought a certain amount of comfort and familiarity which Kyoko had no idea how much she needed until it stared her in the mouth, chewing that annoying straw of wheat.

"I am certain we did. You need to have your memories checked." She taunted back, a smirk playing over her tired face. 

Jet smirked, squeezing her shoulder. "I sure missed your snarky remarks, babe."

Kyoko cringed. "Don't call me that." She glared, but Jet only sneered.

Once a jerk, always a jerk. What was with Kyoko and her liking for edgy jerk people, like Min, Jet, and...

_And Zuko._

"Hey Jet, these barrels are filled with blasting jelly." The Duke chimed in, looking around the firebenders' camp.

"That's a great score." Jet nodded, his arm still resting on Kyoko's shoulders as Sokka and Katara eyed the two narrowly.

"And these boxes are filled with jelly candy!"

"Also good, let's not get those mixed up."

"We'll take this stuff back to the hideout."

Aang gasped, looking at Jet with a newfound interest. "You guys have a hideout?"

Jet grinned. "You want to see it?"

"Yes," Aang exclaimed enthusiastically, "we want to see it!"

Before Sokka, Katara, and Kyoko could protest, they were already heading towards the hideout. Jet didn't remove his hand from Kyoko's shoulders, and Kyoko didn't remove it either. She was going to be spending an hour or two at most with him, so what was the worst that could happen? It brought back memories of the good old times when she just started dating Jet and found herself a temporary home and new friends. 

She spent only three months there, but it was the closest thing she had of a home ever since she left the Flying Snake Dragons.

And Jet was one of the only people that treated her like a human being, other than a street rat like the villagers around did. Or the first one who showed her affection ever since Min. She wasn't very proud of herself, but perhaps a few hours with Jet could take her mind off Zuko, and make it easier for her to stop caring about the banished prince who kept invading her mind even after she ran away with his enemies.

"We're here." Jet informed as soon as they arrived in the clearing.

Sokka, who seemed to be already annoyed by Jet, only grew more irritated. "Where? There's nothing here."

"Hold this." Jet grinned, handing him a rope.

"Why?" Sokka asked skeptically. "What does it do?" He asked, grabbing the rope. As soon as he touched it, he was pulled up, letting out an ear tearing scream.

"Ugh." Kyoko groaned, bringing a hand to her forehead. She was more tired than she'd like to admit.

Jet sneered, turning to Aang. "Aang?" He pointed to another rope.

"I'll get up on my own."

And so he did, jumping from tree to tree until he reached the hideout.

"Katara?" Jet asked the waterbender, who narrowed her eyes at the boy. Jet hardened his expression, noticing the lack of trust from the water tribe siblings.

Kyoko stepped away from Jet and placed her hand on Katara's waist. 

"Go with me?" She asked, trying to help the obviously uncomfortable girl. Katara's gaze softened, a small smile appearing on her face as she nodded gratefully.

"Suit yourself." Jet scoffed, staring at his ex-girlfriend as she grabbed the rope, holding Katara close to herself. 

"Spirits!" Katara yelped as they were pulled up, her hands digging into Kyoko's waist as she held as tightly as possible. When they finally arrived on the highest tree, they pulled away, both smiling brightly.

"Hey, how come you got to go with Kyoko?" Sokka pouted as soon as he saw the girls. Jet came a moment after them, still having the stiff look on his face.

"I missed this place," Kyoko admitted, meeting Jet's eyes. He gave her a genuine smile, happy to have her back.

"Nice place you got!" Aang praised, gaping at the tree houses.

"It's beautiful up here!" Katara admitted, her left hand still wrapped around Kyoko's waist. 

Jet nodded, stepping between the four. "It's beautiful ... and more importantly the Fire Nation can't find us."

Smellerbee jumped from the tree branch in front of them, her eyes narrowed. "They would love to find you. Wouldn't they, Jet?"

"It's not gonna happen, Smellerbee."

Katara looked between Kyoko and Jet as the two continued to stare at one another, and frowned. "Why does the Fire Nation want to find _you_?"

"Same reason they're looking for Kyo, one way or another. I guess you could say I've been causing them a little trouble. See, they took over a nearby Earth Kingdom town a few years back..."

"We've been ambushin' their troops, cutting off their supply lines, and doing anything we can to mess with 'em," Pipsqueak added. 

Jet took a step closer to Kyoko, speaking as if his words were only meant for her. "One day, we'll drive the Fire Nation out of here for good and free that town."

"That's... brave," Katara admitted, reconsidering the boy in front of her. Maybe he wasn't that bad. After all, Kyoko seemed to trust him, right? But she did mention that she left him... 

Katara wasn't convinced with Jet, but as long as he remained friendly, she figured there wasn't much to be suspicious about.

"Yeah," Sokka scoffed, sarcastically, "nothing's braver than a guy in a treehouse." 

Kyoko snorted, earning a smile from the water tribe boy. Ever since Kyoko joined their team officially, he found himself staring at her every time he said something funny or sarcastic. He wasn't seeking her approval, _of course_. He just... really liked her smile. Especially when he was the one to make her smile one way or another. This was no exception.

"Don't pay any attention to my brother." Katara gave Sokka a pointed look. If she wanted them to be safe and sound, she knew that they had to be friendly. 

"No problem. He probably had a rough day." Jet shrugged. 

"So..." Aang wondered, looking between the Freedom Fighters. "You all live here?"

"That's right. Longshot over there? His town got burned down by the Fire Nation. And we found The Duke trying to steal our food. I don't think he ever really had a home. A few months back I met Kyoko, fighting some Fire Nation soldiers, and I offered her to join us, which she did until she left three months later."

"Why did you leave?" Aang asked, curiously.

Kyoko shrugged. "My mom got word of my whereabouts, and I decided to keep the other safe. So I left."

Jet sighed, taking Kyoko's hand in his and squeezing it, despite the neutral look on the earthbender's face. "You shouldn't have left. We would've kept you safe."

Kyoko looked away, not in the mood to rethink her previous choices. That wasn't the only reason why she left. She felt like she didn't truly belong... the others cared about each other like a family, and while they were all friends, she decided that her life as a Freedom fighter wasn't something she truly enjoyed. Especially with Jet breathing down her neck all the time. She didn't even like him as much as he liked her, so what was the point of staying somewhere she didn't feel like she truly belonged?

Sure, it became like a second home to her... but it wasn't like she was that attached to her home after all. She didn't like being responsible for other people all the time, and the Freedom Fighters saw her as much of a leader as they saw Jet.

Perhaps she was a hypocrite, to leave one place because she disliked being tied to others, only to join the avatar and his friends and truly have responsibilities. But it was different... it simply felt right. To be part of Team Avatar felt right.

Even being around Zuko on his ship felt more right than being around Jet and his group. And she felt guilty even by thinking this and knowing it was true. Knowing that was exactly how she felt.

"What about you?" Aang asked Jet, curious about his story. 

"The Fire Nation killed my parents. I was only eight years old. That day changed me forever." Jet looked down, the memory making him sad. Kyoko patted his shoulder in comfort, and he placed his hand over her, thanking her.

"Oh..." Katara sympathized. "Sokka and I lost our mother to the Fire Nation, too." 

"I'm so sorry, Katara." Jet tried to comfort the girl, who nodded sadly.

Kyoko widened her eyes as she stared between Sokka and Katara. She didn't know they lost their mother... but then again, she never asked. 

Perhaps there were more things to talk about than she realized.

Minutes turned to hours since they arrived in Jet's hideout, and they were already gathered for dinner. Kyoko avoided Jet all the time, deciding to catch up with Smellerbee, who even after such a long time still considered her a close friend. She was close with the others, like The Duke, but Smellerbee was the only girl other than her when she was a member of their group - they shared a different kind of friendship. 

Jet tried his best to get to Kyoko, from glances to hand touching and smiles. He _did_ miss her, and Kyoko didn't know how to feel about that. She knew very well that they'd be leaving as soon as possible, but Jet knew that too.

He knew that, and he still tried to spend his time with Kyoko at least for a while. 

Kyoko thought about it for hours and finally decided that maybe, just maybe, pursuing a former relationship for a day wasn't _such_ a bad idea. They were both lonely, and they were both comfortable around each other - to certain amounts. Jet needed a reminder of the past, and Kyoko needed a distraction. 

The earthbender eyed Jet from her seat between Aang and Sokka as the boy stood up, holding a small glass of gin in his hand, and a smirk too big for his facial features.

"Today, we struck another blow against the Fire Nation swine. I got a special joy from the look on one soldier's face when The Duke dropped down on his helmet and rode him like a wild hog monkey, and from the soldiers buried to their waist by our former co-leader, Kyoko." The crowd cheered, and even her three new friends managed to smile. "Now, the Fire Nation thinks they don't have to worry about a couple of kids hiding in the trees. Maybe they're right. Or maybe ... they're _dead_ wrong."

The moment he spoke the word 'dead', Kyoko felt chills run down her spine. Something was... off about him. Had she really been gone for _that_ long?

"Nice speech." Katara praised, raising the gin cup to her mouth. She eyed the liquid for a second, having second thoughts. Maybe she shouldn't - she had never drunk alcohol in her entire life. But when she saw Kyoko wink at her from behind Sokka before drinking her glass's content in one shot, Katara felt a sudden rush of confidence and joy. She closed her eyes and let the alcohol burn her throat. 

The waterbender flinched for a moment, not used with the strong drink before she grinned. It wasn't something she'd see herself doing often, but maybe tonight was different. The responsibilities were off her shoulders, at least for a very short while. 

"Thanks." Jet answered as soon as he was done with his drink. "By the way, I was really impressed with you and Aang. That was some great bending I saw out there today." He found Kyoko's gaze once again and nodded. "Almost as great as yours, babe."

Call it the drunk fever, but Kyoko forgot for a short moment that Jet was, in fact, her ex. Her times as a Freedom Fighter surely felt like a fever dream.

"Well, they're great. Aang is the Avatar, and Kyoko is... well, Kyoko." Katara blushed, staring at her hands. "I could use some more training."

"Avatar huh?" Jet leaned back in his seat, thinking it over. " _V_ _ery_ nice."

Aang looked up from his plate and spoke with a mouthful. "Thanks, Jet."

Jet's eyes flickered in a way it made Kyoko narrow her eyes at him. "So I might know a way that you and Aang can help in our struggle."

Sokka cleared his throat, tensing in his chair. "Unfortunately, we have to leave tonight." He made a move to stand.

Jet narrowed his eyes. "Sokka, you're kidding me! I needed you on an important mission tomorrow."

That worked well enough, Sokka stopping himself from leaving. "What mission?"

Jet only grinned. "Stick around to find out."

"Fine." Sokka sat back down. "It better be worth it."

After dinner, Jet finally managed to steal Kyoko away from prying eyes, and lead her back in the room they used to share. She walked with him without a protest.

The room was exactly as Kyoko remembered it. With a small desk in the corner, a drawer, and a hammock that was used as a bed. It was as simple as a bed could be, but Kyoko liked it back then as much as she liked it now. 

"You've been avoiding me... haven't you?" Jet sighed, closing the door behind them. "Is it because of your friends?" He spat his wheat straw on the desk and lightened a candle for proper brightness. "That water tribe boy... Sokka. He's giving you weird looks."

"Weird looks?" Was the only thing Kyoko commented about as she eyed him, her back pressed against the door. "How?"

Jet scoffed. "He's looking at you the same way I always looked at you." His brown eyes seemed to glow in the candlelight, staring at her almost hungrily. 

"How?" Kyoko repeated, her voice strangled in her throat.

The boy stepped closer to her, gazing into her very soul. "You know how."

Kyoko took in a sharp breath as Jet stepped yet closer to her, his hands resting on her waist, squeezing her hips. She knew the answer.

_The same way I looked at Zuko._

She shook her head, almost repulsed by her own thoughts. Fine, if that's how her own mind wanted to play... after all, breaking her own heart is what Kyoko always excelled at. 

"The same way I look at you." Kyoko breathed out, still tasting the alcohol on her tongue. She could drink anytime, anything, and still have a hard time getting drunk. Must have been in her genes - Dao Feis were, after all, exceptional drinkers. And she knew that Jet was the same - yet, her mind seemed to be intoxicated. 

Good, that's what she needed the most that night.

Jet's lips were on hers before she could even stop her chain of thoughts. He kissed her hard, hungrily and bruising. It was familiar and that's what she wanted. To press her former feelings into herself. 

She didn't care about anything else at the moment and that's what she desired. Forget about Min, forget about Zuko, forget about being on the run, and having responsibilities. Jet could make her happy that night, and well, who was Kyoko to refuse?

"You know," Kyoko struggled to say between their kisses, "I'll be gone tomorrow, most likely. You know that right?"

"Mhm," Jet didn't put away from her, his hands digging into her hips exactly like he knew she liked, "I know and I don't care. If I can have you tonight, that's enough for me."

Kyoko's lips back on his own were all the confirmation he needed to know that she wanted this too. His hands lowered down to her ass, giving it a hard squeeze. Jet patted her thigh and she knew what he wanted. She gave a jump high enough for him to lift her legs around his waist. 

~ NSFW ~

His hands went to her shirt, lifting it in one move, and throwing it around the room without a care. She'll find it in the morning anyway. 

"I wanted to talk to you at first," Jet pulled his lips away from hers for a moment, letting out a laugh, "about you leaving, and your former Dao Fei friends - but fuck, this is even better than what I imagined."

It was Kyoko's turn to laugh. "I am pretty sure this is exactly what you had in mind ever since you saw me in the woods earlier today."

Jet gave her a shit-eating grin. "That's true. Do you know how irresistible you look when you sway your hips like that?" He emphasized his point by giving her ass a slap. "How am I supposed to resist?"

"You're not." Kyoko grinned back. "That's why we're here. Why don't you demonstrate how much you can't _resist_ me, wheat boy?"

And Jet did just that. Throwing her in the hammock, he was quick to undress completely, while she took off her pants and got comfortable in the swaying cloth. It wasn't exactly easy to do it in a hammock, but well... they had plenty of experience. 

"You're so fucking hot." Jet praised, getting on the hammock on top of her. Kyoko was quick to change positions, much to Jet's delight. Seeing her on top was definitely a sight that he liked to remember almost, if not, daily. 

They did it many times before, but there weren't many feelings attached from Kyoko's part. Not like when she was with Min and, early discovered, with Zuko.

Kyoko almost froze at her own thoughts, shaking her head and pushing her feelings aside. That's why she chose to do it with Jet in the first place. 

To forget about everything and everyone else.

 _She needed this_.

And that's how she found herself in the current situation. Fucking her ex while her friends were sleeping next door, and her mind couldn't stop picturing the girl she used to love and the boy she slowly developed feelings for.

It was almost embarrassing, really.

~ Safe to read ~

At last, Kyoko and Jet were done in less than one hour, falling asleep next to each other like they used to do many months ago. 

And while the Freedom Fighter was completely happy and satisfied, Kyoko barely got any sleep that night, the guilt eating at her soul.

The next morning, Katara, Aang, and Kyoko were having breakfast while Sokka and Jet went on their 'special mission'. Sokka asked Kyoko to come along, but she couldn't be bothered. 

"I made you this hat," Katara said, showing Kyoko what she worked on the entire morning. It was a cap made of stitched leaves with a red flower on top. 

Kyoko smiled, her cheeks turned red as she placed the cap on her head. "Thank you, Katara! How do I look?"

Katara smiled brightly. "You look lovely." She replied, then blushed as she realized what she said. But Kyoko seemed to pay her words no mind happy with her gift. 

"Hey, Sokka," Aang said, looking from his rice bowl to the boy who just returned from his so-called mission.

"Hei," Sokka muttered, a dark expression on his face.

"Is Jet back too?" Kyoko asked, taking a large bite of bread. 

"Yeah." Sokka clenched his jaw, taking one piece of bread himself. "But we're leaving."

"What?" Both Katara and Aang asked, but Sokka wasn't paying attention to them. His eyes fell heavily on Kyoko, and the girl felt herself burn red for an unknown reason.

"What's that on your neck?" Sokka asked, gritting his teeth. "It wasn't there yesterday night."

Kyoko followed his gaze and felt herself blush as she realized what he asking about. The problem with not having a mirror, it seemed, was that you can't notice some obvious things easily. Obvious things such as hickeys on your neck.

"I don't know what you're talking about." She shied away, uncomfortable with their gazes on her exposed neck.

"Yes, you do." Sokka narrowed his eyes. "Where were you last night anyway? I haven't seen you since dinner."

"I went to sleep." Kyoko narrowed her eyes back. "In Smellerbee's quarters."

"No, you weren't. Katara slept there. You weren't there."

Kyoko wanted to facepalm herself hard. She looked at Katara sitting next to her, asking for help with her eyes, but Katara remained silent, shocked by the realization.

"You... Jet..." She gasped.

Sokka mimicked her reaction, his eyes wide with shock and anger. "You _slept_ with him?!"

Embarrassed already, Kyoko decided to stop running around the subject. "And what about it? My sexual life is none of your business. Why does it matter, anyway?"

Sokka's jaw must have hit the ground. Katara covered her mouth, her face turning red, and Aang counted every single piece of rice in his bowl, trying his best to ignore the conversation.

"It matters _because_ your boyfriend Jet is a _thug_."

Kyoko scoffed, dropping her bread on her knees. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me!" Sokka started shoving his arms around as if to further emphasize his point. "He's messed up Kyoko."

Aang looked up from his bowl, timidly. "He's not messed up, he's just got a different way of life, a really fun way of life."

"And Kyoko seems to... trust him," Katara added, looking at Kyoko from the corner of her eye. 

"He beat and robbed a harmless old man!" Sokka shouted, annoyed by the three of them. How could they be so blind? _Especially_ Kyoko?

Kyoko's fist met the tree's behind her truck, ignoring the bruising pain it caused her. "First you pry into my personal life, and then you accuse someone who only showed you kindness ever since you met him of beating and robbing innocent and harmless people." If Kyoko was a firebender, flames would've shot out of her mouth. "I _know_ Jet, and he would never do such a thing. I want to hear his point of view on this."

And with that, she took off towards Jet's quarters, angrily. Sokka and Katara shared a look before they took off after her, with Aang closely behind.

"Jet!" Kyoko yelled, knocking at his door powerfully enough to ruin his treehouse. He was out of his room in one moment, a shit-eating grin on his face.

"Hey, babe. Here for another round?"

She snarled at him, and his grin disappeared as quickly as it appeared. 

"Kyoko...?"

"Sokka said you beat and robbed a harmless, innocent man." She pointed towards Sokka who stepped close to her, their shoulders brushing. "Now I know we've known each other for a longer time than I've known Sokka, but I _do_ know he wouldn't lie about something like this without a reason." She glared fire into Jet's eyes, and the boy gulped. "Care to explain?"

If there was one thing Kyoko learned from her mother, it was that the best way to get people to talk was to act the way they would be intimidated the first. Some realized the situation was bad when the person they had a conflict with was calm and patient, yet cold and mocking. Jet was the opposite. Kyoko quickly realized that the best way to get him to be honest was by scaring the shit out of him, being as intimidating as possible.

Jet quickly cooled down, relaxing as he rested his back against the door. 

"Sokka, you told them what happened, but you didn't mention that the guy was Fire Nation?"

Katara stared harshly at her brother. "No, he conveniently left that part out."

Kyoko stared at Katara hard. "Why does it make a difference? An innocent person is still an innocent person, no matter where he comes from."

"A bit ironic, coming from a former Dao Fei." Jet teased, crossing his arms over his chest. "Besides, he was an assassin, Kyoko."

"What?" Sokka scoffed, glaring at the wheat chewing boy. "No, he wasn't!"

Jet arched a brow, challengingly. He pulled out a knife from his belt and opened it to reveal a secret poison tube. "See? He was sent to eliminate me; you helped save my life, Sokka."

Katara sighed in relief, nodding at the boy. "I know there was an explanation."

Sokka, however, glared harder at the boy. "I didn't see any knife!"

"That's because he was concealing it."

"See, Sokka? I'm sure you just didn't notice the knife." Katara turned towards her brother, annoyed. 

Sokka shook his head. He tried to find Kyoko's gaze, but she was staring hard at Jet, ignoring the water tribe boy. This only infuriated him more. Of course, she'd side with him - she liked him, didn't she?

"There was no knife! I'm going back to the hut and packing my things." Sokka shouted, stomping away.

Jet rolled his eyes, turning to look at Kyoko. "You know I'm right. You _know_ me."

Kyoko wasn't so sure she did. Not anymore. She felt something was off with the boy since she saw him. And as much as she tried to push that thought away... it was staring her right in the face. 

There was something else. Something unusual.

His heartbeat... Kyoko wasn't as good at seismic sense as Toph Beifong was, and she never paid attention before, so why did she do it now? But she could feel it. The way his heart beat faster every time he spoke, it was impossible to ignore it. And it was impossible to not know what it meant.

_Sokka was right. Jet was lying._

"Kyoko...?" Jet asked again upon seeing the look on Kyoko's face.

She ignored him, turning on her heels and running after Sokka, her braided hair fluttering in the wind like a cat's tail. 

"Sokka!" Kyoko shouted as soon as she spoted him. "Sokka."

"What?" Sokka turned around, crossing his arms over his chest. "Are you here to call me a loser? A _liar_? To tell me what an idiot I am for accusing your _boyfriend_?"

He sounded very hurt, Kyoko noticed. Had she really been that harsh with him?

"Sokka," she reached for him, placing her hand on his shoulder, "I believe you."

"I..." Sokka blinked fast, his jaw hitting the floor. "You do? You... believe me? But, how?"

"Jet is lying." She sighed, scratching the back of her neck with her free hand. "His heartbeat gave him away."

"His... heartbeat..." Sokka arched a brow. "Is that a new Kyoko edition thing?"

The girl allowed a laugh to leave her lips. They didn't notice Aang and Katara stepping inside behind them, sharing determined looks.

"We can't leave now with the Fire Nation about to burn down a forest!" Katara spoke, stepping between the two.

Sokka shook his head, disagreeing with his sister. "I'm sorry Katara. Jet's very smooth, but we can't trust him."

"You know what I think? You're jealous that he's a better warrior and a better leader, and that he is close to Kyoko. You're speaking out of jealousy!"

"Katara," Sokka took a deep breath, trying his best to remain calm, "I'm not jealous of Jet. It's just that my instinct—"

"Well, _my_ instincts tell me we need to stay here a little longer and help Jet. Come on Aang."

Aang gave the water tribe boy an apologetic look. "Sorry, Sokka."

Katara turned towards Kyoko, her hands on her waist. "Well? Are you coming or not?"

Kyoko looked between the three of them with a heavy heart. She really didn't want to drive them apart - but Sokka was right, and Aang and Katara couldn't see it.

"No. Sokka is right."

"What?! But Jet... How can you side with Sokka against Jet? After all the kindness he showed us!"

"You're not being rational Katara." Kyoko gritted her teeth. "I've been away for months and he changed. He seems off... and I could tell he was lying by his heartbeat-"

" _What_? Do you even hear yourself?"

"Stop interrupting me!" Kyoko yelled, and Katara widened her eyes, taking a step back in shock. She never heard Kyoko raise her voice again - not at her. But Kyoko wasn't moved by Katara's startled self. 

"You're willing to trust a random boy over your own brother?" The earthbender brushed her shoulder against Katara's, stepping side by side with Sokka. "Fine. Do whatever you think it's right. But so far, I trust Sokka's instincts, and my _own_ instincts, better than your harsh opinion on your own brother and your newfound adoration over some random guy in a treehouse, that you just met a day ago. I know Jet, I've dated him for months... yet I still don't trust him. You've known him since yesterday, and look at you."

Kyoko scoffed, rolling her eyes at the waterbender. "Do however you please Katara. But Sokka and I won't be there when you'll realize we were right, _and you were wrong_."

The three of them looked at Kyoko with mixed emotions. While Aang was considering Kyoko's point of view and Sokka was feeling better knowing the earthbender got his back, Katara looked at if she was going through her first heartbreak. If Kyoko wasn't so proud, she would have felt bad upon seeing the look on the girl's face. 

"Fine," Katara spoke, her voice a whisper compared to her normal strong, and confident tone. "You think you two are right? _Fine_. You trust your instincts, and I will trust _mine_. Aang. Let's go."

With that, she was gone, dragging Aang after her by his sleeve.

Sokka and Kyoko remained silent for a moment, looking after the two. Then they slowly turned to look at each other, with matching upset looks.

"Thank you for taking my side, Kyoko." Sokka sighed, rubbing his forehead. "We're not really leaving, are we?"

"No... we can't. We can't leave them alone with Jet. It's not safe anymore."

That afternoon, they filled after Jet when they spotted him sneaking out of the hideout with Smellerbee, The Duke, and two other Freedom Fighters.

"Let's go." Jet whispered to them. 

Kyoko and Sokka shared a determined look as they sneaked behind him, hiding in the bushes and moving as quietly as possible.

They walked around the dark valley until they reached a dam. That's where Jet stopped. 

"Now listen, you are not to blow the dam until I give the signal. If the reservoir isn't full, the Fire Nation troops could survive."

Kyoko and Sokka looked at each other with wide eyes. They were right. Jet was out of his mind.

The Duke seemed to share their views too. "But what about the people in the town, won't they get wiped out too?"

Jet placed his hand on the younger boy's shoulder. "Look Duke, that's the price of ridding this area of the Fire Nation." He turned to Longshot and nodded. "Now don't blow the dam until I give the signal—got it?"

Longshot nodded.

Kyoko stared at Jet incredulously... this couldn't really be happening, right? What _happened_ to him while she was gone? 

But her chain of thoughts was brutally interrupted when she felt a sharp joint in her shoulder. She looked down and almost squealed as she realized what it was. 

_Well, fuck._

She looked up to see Sokka being dragged by his ponytail in the open clearing, Smellerbee holding a knife against her throat. She wanted to yell, to reach him, and to punch the shit out of the girl, but no sound came out of her throat. She couldn't move, couldn't even open her mouth.

Kyoko felt herself being lifted from the ground and dragged after Sokka. Her temporary paralyzed self could barely look up into Jet's eyes, draining her of all her strength. She started counting. These shots only lasted ten minutes. 

Everything could go wrong in ten minutes. 

"Tie her hands. She's too dangerous, even paralyzed."

Then he smirked. "Kyoko. Sokka. I'm so glad you decided to join us."

Kyoko looked at Sokka as she felt her hands being tied, and the boy gave her a worried look. He eyed the shot used to paralyze her dropped on the ground near his feet, and his mind worked hard to figure out how long it lasted. He had to buy them time.

"I heard your plan to destroy the Earth Kingdom town."

Jet sneered back at the boy. "We plan to rid the valley of the Fire Nation." 

"There are people living there, Jet; mothers and fathers and children."

Jet simply shrugged. "We can't win without making some sacrifices."

"You lied to Aang and Katara about the forest fire!" Sokka pointed an accusatory finger at Jet. "And you paralyzed Kyoko."

"She'll be fine." Jet assured them, patting Kyoko's head as the girl rested on her knees at his feet. "Aang and Katara... they don't understand war. Not like you, and I and Kyoko do."

"I do understand. I understand that there's nothing you won't do to get what you want." Sokka kept glancing back at Kyoko, worried about her nauseous self. Her face was puffy, and her body was like jelly. If she wasn't tied, she'd be spread on the ground. 

"I was hoping you'd have an open mind, but I can see you've made your choice."

Pipsqueak and Smellerbee grabbed for Sokka. Before he could even react, Jet had his wrist pinned with the hooks of his shuang gou. Sokka's other hand was forced behind his back.

"I can't let either of you warn Katara and Aang." Jet released Sokka's hand; it was immediately forced behind his back. "Take him for a walk, a long walk."

Kyoko tried to stand, but to no use. She continued to count. Seven more minutes.

"Let her go Jet!" Sokka struggled, desperately trying to reach Kyoko. "Don't you dare do anything to her!"

Jet only laughed as Sokka was dragged away, screaming after the two. "Don't worry, ponytail." He kneeled in front of Kyoko's numb body, his hands cupping her face with the tenderness of a lover.

"I would never hurt you." He closed his eyes, kissing her forehead gingerly. "I hope you can understand... this is something I have to do. I'm sorry, but I can't let you ruin my plans. I know you'll forgive me after I'll free this valley of those vile firebenders." His eyes fell to her lips, his thumb caressing them softly. "You've always been so understanding of me, Kyoko..."

If Kyoko could move, she'd bite his fingers off. Luckily for him, she could barely keep her eyes open. 

"Cheer up, baby. We're gonna win a great victory against the Fire Nation today." He looked behind her shoulder, nodding at a new Freedom Fighter recruit. The boy rose his hand, hitting Kyoko hard in the head.

With that, Kyoko fell down on the ground, knocked out. The last thing she remembered was Jet's eyes. Apologetic, yet... determined. 

Determined to wipe out an entire village in his blind revenge.

~

"What are they doing?" Katara looked over the edge of the cliff in shock. Four of Jet's people were unloading barrels from the wagon and arranging them.

"Hey, those are the red barrels he got from the Fire Nation." Aang narrowed his eyes.

"Why would they need blasting jelly?"

Aang opened his glider with a horrified face. "Because Jet's gonna blow up the dam."

"What? No, that would destroy the town. Jet wouldn't do that."

"I've gotta stop him." Aang took off, leaving a startled Katara.

"Jet... he wouldn't do that."

Before Aang could reach the edge, Jet crossed his path from behind and snatched the glider. Aang was left wobbling precariously on the edge and used airbending to get himself back on a stable footing.

"Yes, I would." Jet smirked. 

Katara gasped, horrified. "Jet... why?"

"Katara, you would too if you just stopped to think. Think about what the Fire Nation did to your mother, we can't let them do that to anyone else, ever again."

Katara stood tall, glaring at the boy. "This isn't the answer!"

"I want you to understand me Katara. I thought your brother and my girlfriend would understand, but—"

"Where are they?" Katara demanded, tears falling from her eyes.

"Katara..." Jet reached, but Katara stepped away.

Sokka and Kyoko were right all along. How could she be so foolish? 

She lowered her head, and with a shout, sent Jet flying with the water from her waterskin. She drew it back into the skin when she was done.

"I need to get to the dam!" Aang shouted.

Aang's closed glider was on the ground. As he reached for it, one of Jet's hook swords pinned it. Jet had the two swords hook to hook; with a yank, he pulled Aang's glider to him.

"You're not going anywhere without your glider."

Jet swung the swords at Aang. Aang somersaulted backward to avoid the extra reach. Aang finished his retreat in a nearby tree.

"I'm not gonna fight you, Jet."

Jet grinned, taunting the avatar. "You'll have to if you want your glider back."

As the two started fighting each other, Kyoko opened her eyes on the other side of the cliff. The pain in her head made her see stars for a moment, and she let out a loud groan.

"Kyoko," Sokka called, running towards her at full speed. "Oh thank spirits. You're okay. Oh, spirits."

Kyoko struggled to keep her eyes open, her head feeling heavy on her shoulders. 

"Sokka..." She murmured as the boy started untying her arms from the tree. 

"It's okay. I warned the villagers... they're safe. Come on, we have to stop Jet and warn Aang and Katara."

As soon as her hands were free, Kyoko lost balance and was ready to fall with her face in the mud. Sokka was quick to catch her, however, helping her on her feet.

"Are you feeling okay?" He asked as they slowly walked towards the dam. "I mean, considering..."

"I'm... fine." She struggled to speak, feeling more dead than alive. "And you?"

"Eh," Sokka looked around with a shrug, "they need to learn how to tie a knot. They're not very skillful, huh?"

Kyoko let out a quiet snort, but it was enough to make them both feel better. 

They walked in the direction of the voices, where Aang, Katara, and Jet fought.

"All those people..." Katara turned in a rage back to Jet. "Jet, you monster!"

"This was a victory, Katara. Remember that. The Fire Nation is gone and this valley will be safe."

Kyoko had enough of him, however. With all the force remaining in her body, she slammed her left foot on the ground and trapped Jet in a stone cage.

The three of them turned in surprise to see Sokka and Kyoko walk towards them, or rather, Sokka carrying a limp Kyoko, with Appa and Momo flying above the dam ready to come to their rescue. 

"It will be safe, without you." Sokka glared at the boy, pulling Kyoko closer to him as if to protect her from the Freedom Fighter's gaze.

"Sokka! Kyoko!" Aang and Katara cried, running towards them. Kyoko groaned in pain as the two squeezed them in a hug, but smiled at the thought that they were all finally on the same side.

"I warned the villagers of your plan, just in time," Sokka spoke, staring harshly at Jet.

"What?!"

Sokka went on. "At first they didn't believe me. The Fire Nation soldiers assumed I was a spy. But one man vouched for me, the old man you attacked. He urged them to trust me, and we got everyone out in time."

"Sokka, you fool! We could've freed this valley!"

Kyoko struggled to talk loudly but did so anyway. "Who would be free? Everyone would be dead."

Jet gasped at her, a heartbroken look taking over his face.

"You... you traitor!"

Sokka shook his head, hugging Kyoko tightly. "No, Jet. You became the traitor when you stopped protecting innocent people."

Jet struggled against the bars of his cage. "Kyoko! Please, help me! Katara! Help me!"

"Goodbye Jet," Katara said as Appa arrived next to them.

"Kyoko!" Jet called as he watched them climb on Appa. Kyoko spared him one last look. 

"You're not worth my goodbyes." She spoke, sharp and venomous. 

With that, Aang flew her on his glider on Appa, since she wasn't strong enough to do it by herself.

"Yip Yip." Sokka urged Appa, and Kyoko spared one last look at Jet before they were up on the sky, flying towards the horizon.

Kyoko let out a groan as her body was spread on the saddle, feeling as if she was going to throw up.

"How are you feeling?" Katara asked, gently lifting Kyoko's head to place it on her lap.

"I'm fine Katara. I was paralyzed, hit in the head, and tied to a tree for hours. And I found out that my ex boyfriend who I just hooked up with is a psycho." She let out a sneer, avoiding her friends' pitiful looks. "I'm fine."

"I'm sorry we didn't believe you." Aang apologized, taking Kyoko's hand in his and giving it a gentle squeeze. "Both of you." He looked up at Sokka, who nodded in response.

"It's fine. We forgive you. Everything turned out fine in the end."

Katara and Aang smiled, thankfully. Aang arched a brow at Sokka, still holding Kyoko's hand. "We thought you were going to the dam. How come you went to the town instead?"

"Let me guess, your instincts told you." Katara teased with a chuckle.

Sokka shrugged. "Hey, sometimes they're right."

Aang giggled. "Um ... Sokka? You know we're going the wrong way, right?"

Sokka was surprised but quickly recovered. "And sometimes they're wrong." With a grin, he pulled Appa's reigns. 

Kyoko laughed, looking at the three of them with a pointed look. "I think we can all agree we learned something new."

"Oh yeah," Sokka chuckled, "what's that?"

" _Instincts are a bitch_."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No, I really dislike Jet. But you bet I'll add drama and spice any chance I get, and he was a fitting choice.  
> Also, I can't believe that I really wrote my very first NSFW scene, and it was with Jet. Although it wasn't that bad, I think?  
> Let me know what you guys think ^_^


	12. A storm is coming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kyoko and Sokka become closer than anyone anticipated

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was supposed to be published earlier but AO3 doesn't autosave, and it deleted around 3000 words which I couldn't be bothered to write again, so this chapter turned quite lame compared to how it was before but oh well.  
> Also yes I skipped 'The Great Divide'. You could pay me and I still wouldn't write that episode. It just ain't it chief.

<https://open.spotify.com/track/2GHxtccGrufkQXi3QpQk9z>

_'Follow Sweet Children_  
_I'll Show Thee the Way_  
_Through All The Pain And_  
_The Sorrow_  
_Weep Not Poor Children_  
_For Life Is This Way_  
_Murdering Beauty And_  
_Passions'_

"What's going on? Did we get captured again?"

Kyoko groaned, opening her eyes to stare at Sokka who managed to wake her up with his shouting. "What's going on?" She yawned, turning to look at Aang, barely making his form in the dark.

"It's nothing. I just had a bad dream. Go back to sleep."

Kyoko shared a look with Sokka, who was curled in his sleeping bag next to her. "Don't have to tell us twice." She shrugged, curling back in her sleeping bag.

"Are you all right, Aang?" Katara asked, but Kyoko couldn't be bothered to care so late in the night. She needed her sleep, especially after their encounter with those hideous canyon crawlers. She'll have nightmares for a while.

"I'm okay," Aang said, obviously not okay.

That was something to worry about in the morning, Kyoko decide.

"You seem to be having a lot of nightmares lately. You want to tell me about it?" The waterbender went on, her mother instincts kicking in.

"I think I just need some rest."

Suddenly Sokka stood again, his tired eyes flickering. " You guys want to hear about my dream?" Katara glared at him, and Sokka returned the look. "That's okay. I didn't want to talk about it anyway."

Kyoko let out a very loud groan as Sokka curled back again, and turned around to face him. He was already looking at her.

"Fine. Make it quick."

Sokka's eyes glowed as if he just received a birthday present.

"That's why you're the best." He praised, sitting on his elbows. Sokka cleared his throat, grinning at her as he started the dream Kyoko couldn't care less about. "So... it happened at the South Pole. I went fishing... but instead of my spear, I had my boomerang. I went looking for fish and found a sea lion instead. But just as I was ready to strike, the mother went neck-deep and I was drowning. the sea lion ran after me, but it changed into a polar bison all of the sudden. It has Katara's voice and it yelled at me to wash my socks. And then right as it reached me and it tried to eat me, I woke up on Appa, and it had Aang's head and Katara's loopies. And Momo sat on my shoulder, and it talked to me. It spoke with your voice, and told me to 'be gay and do crimes'. And then Aang woke me up just five minutes ago."

Kyoko stared hard, and Sokka smiled sheepishly. Then she broke out in a snort, the kind of snort that always made Sokka laugh until tears fell from his eyes.

Soon, they were both a laughing mess, calming down only when both Aang and Katara shouted at them to be quiet. 

Sokka, Kyoko thought, was exactly the friend she needed.

In the morning, the two kept talking about Sokka's new dream as they gathered their things on Appa. 

"Look at those clear skies, buddy!" Aang smiled, petting Appa. "Should be some smooth flying."

"Well, we better _smoothly_ fly ourselves to a market, 'cause we're out of food," Katara affirmed as they climbed on Appa's saddle and began flying.

Sokka nudged Kyoko in the side, a look of worry on his face which she quickly copied. "Guys, wait. This was in my dream. We shouldn't go to the market."

Katara arched a brow, looking at the two of them only to be met with their panicked expression. "What happened in your dream?"

"Food _eats_ people! Also, Momo could talk." Both Sokka and Kyoko turned to glare at Momo, who stared dumbfoundedly at them. "You said some very unkind things."

"Like what," Katara teased, "wash your socks?"

Katara paled as both Kyoko and Sokka gasped, grabbing each other and clinging together, their eyes wide in horror.

"That's exactly what she said in your previous dream!" Kyoko pointed at Katara, and Sokka clung even harder to her side.

"I know!" Sokka cried, his fingers digging in Kyoko's arm. "My nightmares are becoming reality!"

Aang laughed childishly at them, while Katara facepalmed hard.

"You two are so intelligent individually... but I swear you only share one single brain cell while together." She shook her head, hiding her amused grin.

Aang only laughed harder as Kyoko and Sokka let go of the other, glaring at Katara clearly offended.

When they finally reached the market, they hurried to look after food, all starving. Aang followed Katara around, while Sokka trailed after Kyoko, looking around but not buying anything since the money was with Katara. 

"Have you ever tried pumpkin?" Sokka randomly asked, looking at some berry jaw while Kyoko sneaked away some biscuits, dried fruits, and tea leaves without anyone noticing, including Sokka. 

"Yeah." Kyoko shrugged, paying attention to the merchants who didn't notice the girl stealing something here and there.

"Is it good?" He asked, with a tone that could only be interpreted as a longing for the pumpkins he kept asking about.

"Yeah," Kyoko said, sneaking jasmine tea flowers in her jacket. "Why?" She turned to look at Sokka, only to see that he was looking somewhere else. At something else.

Behind them was a small table with cakes and pastries. The ones Sokka craved were the pumpkin shortcakes. They _did_ look pretty good, Kyoko had to admit.

"Just asking." Sokka sighed. "We're out of money aren't we." He saddened, rubbing his belly as if he was going through a heartbreak.

Kyoko rolled her eyes. She wasn't going to let him cry like this over some stupid shortcakes.

"Are these the ones you want?" She grabbed his hand, pulling him towards the small table. The baker gave them a small smile, turning to serve the woman and her little daughters.

"Yeah..." Sokka pouted. "Those are the ones."

"They do look good." Kyoko eyed the merchant. When she was sure he won't turn, she grabbed two pumpkin shortcakes in one hand, without anyone noticing. "Unfortunately we're out of money." She stated, nudging Sokka to walk away. As she turned, she grabbed another two in her free hand. 

Making sure no one noticed, she started walking away at a rushed pace, Sokka following shortly behind in confusion. 

"What' wrong?" He asked once they reached the end of the market. 

Kyoko turned and looked behind his shoulder to make sure no one was paying attention. She prompted herself against the hazel tree, letting out a laugh that made Sokka, who had no idea what was going on, laugh too as he sat down next to her, their sides pressed together.

"What?" He chuckled, looking in her eyes with a smile. "Kyo?"

"Here." She opened her hand to reveal the pumpkin dessert she stole. 

His jaw must have hit the ground as he stared at the shortcakes. "You stole them?!"

"Shh!" She shushed him, hitting his leg with hers to further emphasize her point. "You want the merchants on our tail boomerang boy?" She glared.

He rose his hands in surrender. "Sorry! You stole them?" He said again, this time in a whisper. "But... how?"

Kyoko smirked. "I've been a thief since birth. Come on," she laughed at his expression, "Katara stole a two hundred gold coins worth waterbender scroll just two weeks ago. This is child play compared to that."

"Fair enough." Sokka nodded, reaching for the shortcakes. He whined when she pulled her hand away and arched an eyebrow in concern as she inspected them.

"Uh... what are you doing?"

"Making sure they're safe to eat." She shrugged as if it was normal. Sokka made a wise choice not to question her. 

As soon as the earthbender was sure they were safe, she handed Sokka two of the shortcakes and ate the other two hungrily before the boy could even take a bite of his own.

"You eat fast," Sokka observed, and Kyoko almost rolled her eyes. She wasn't in the mood for a boy judging her eating habits.

"Bet I can do it faster." Sokka grinned, much to Kyoko's both surprise and amusement. He didn't eat them faster, but it was a close call. His eyes seemed to turn into hearts once he was done. "Oh my. Those taste like gold!"

Kyoko laughed. "You've eaten gold?"

"Well, no," Sokka caressed his chin, "I haven't. I never even touched gold, to be honest. But I bet this is what it'd taste like if it was eatable."

"You never touched gold?" Kyoko frowned. "Really?"

Sokka shrugged, giving her a shit-eating grin. "Have you?"

It was her turn to grin. "Obviously. That's how I ended up on Zuko's ship. I stole his gold, and he caught me before I could run." 

Sokka was definitely not expecting this, but he didn't mind. He liked to hear her talk. Kyoko had a nice voice, Sokka thought to himself.

"Really?" He laughed, holding his stomach. "I thought he kidnapped you or something."

Kyoko shrugged, holding back a smirk. "It's not easy kidnapping me. The last time it happened..." She suddenly stopped talking, feeling a shiver down her spine at the memory. 

She felt Sokka's hand around her shoulder, shaking her gently. "Kyo?"

"We should probably find the others." She stood up, dismissing Sokka's concerned face. 

Kyoko did what she always did best. Ruin things.

It wasn't hard to spot the two. There were only two water tribe people dressed in bright blue in the entire market - not to mention Aang's air nomad clothes 

Katara was shaking a watermelon, which emitted an audible sloshing sound. "I don't know if I like the sound of that swishing." She told the merchant woman.

The woman was quick to defend her products, however. "Swishing means it's ripe! It's the ripe juices swishing around, eh?"

"I think it's true, Katara. Swishing means it's ripe." Aang patted the watermelon.

Katara frowned, placing back the melon. "I just realized we're out of money anyway."

Kyoko didn't understand how being out of money could be a problem. Couldn't they just steal it anyway?

The merchant lady made a move as if to punch Katara's back as she grabbed the basket full of fruits from Aang, and Sokka had to grab at Kyoko in order to stop the girl from punching the woman and taking the fruits.

"Easy there." Sokka patted her head as if she was a cat. Kyoko didn't protest. 

"I hate the merchants." She mumbled, stealing a half piece of papaya from a man's table while he wasn't looking. 

"You need to stop stealing," Sokka whispered to her, but took a piece of the fruit when Kyoko offered. "It could get us in trouble."

"You mean, more than we already are?" She rolled her eyes, giving Aang and Katara a piece of the fruit. They were both too hungry to protest about her stealing.

Sokka only rolled his eyes, hiding his amused grin. "Out of food and out of money. Now, what are we supposed to do?"

"You could get a job, smart guy," Katara replied, annoyed by their lack of money. 

"Or we could s-"

"No more stealing!" Katara shook her head, giving Kyoko a pointed look. "Seriously. These people all have honest works, trying to make a living as much as possible... it's not fair to steal."

"Ugh." Kyoko bumped her shoulder into Katara's. "I'm poor and I'm hungry, and stealing some papaya is much better than eating folk's garbage or stray rats like I used to before I got on Zuko's ship. Do you want to know real hunger? Be my guest!"

Katara's mouth hanged open by Kyoko's rant, and Aang offered his comfort by patting her shoulder.

"It's how she grew up Katara. You can't exactly expect her to become a saint in a few days." He gave her a reassuring smile. "Give it time."

Katara had a hard time adjusting to Kyoko's temper and habits... but the girl was the only girl friend she ever had. Besides, Kyoko was a genuine person with a good heart - if she allowed herself to act on it. The waterbender nodded at Aang; Kyoko simply needed time and guidance.

Suddenly, the four's thoughts were interrupted by an elderly couple arguing in front of them. 

The elder woman was glaring at her husband, trying to make him see sense. "We shouldn't go out there! Please, the fish can wait. There's going to be a terrible storm."

The man, however, was having none of it. "You're crazy. It's a nice day," He gestured to the sky with both arms, "No clouds, no winds, no nothing. So quit your nagging, woman."

Aang tugged nervously at Kyoko's sleeve. "Maybe we should find some shelter?"

The girl narrowed her eyes, eyeing the perfectly clear sky and bright sun. "Um... the weather seems fine to me."

To her defense, Kyoko was an earthbender. She had nothing to do with the weather. If she ever needed shelter, she could usually form an earth shelter. And as for her days at sea, she was lucky enough to only get sunny days on her pirate travels - and in the rare occasions when a storm did appear, Min was always there to prevent them from drowning.

"Yeah," Sokka nodded at Kyoko, giving Aang a funny look, "Are you kidding? Shelter from _what_?"

"My joints say there's going to be a storm! A bad one." The old woman went on to her husband. 

"Well, it's your joints against my brain."

The woman scoffed, waving her husband off. "Then I hope your brain can find someone else to haul that fish, 'cause I ain't comin'."

Kyoko decided that she liked the fisherwoman.

"Then I'll find a new fish hauler and pay him _double_ of what you get! How do you like that?"

Kyoko eyed Sokka funnily as he ran towards the fisherman, his hands up in the air. "I'll go!" He exclaimed, giving a shit-eating grin.

"You're hired!" The fisherman called, looking at his wife with a smirk.

Katara and Kyoko shared an unimpressed look, which Sokka was quick to decipher. 

"What? You said to get a job ... and he's _paying double_."

The fisherman gave Sokka a strange look. "Double? Who told you that nonsense?" He shook his head, to which Sokka whined and Kyoko facepalmed.

Half an hour later, it seemed like the woman was right about the storm - the clouds truly did look grayer than earlier. It made Kyoko shiver; she always hated the bad weather.

"Sokka, maybe this isn't such a good idea. Look at the sky." Aang tried to reason with the water tribe boy as he was carrying supplies on the fishing boat.

Sokka, being stubborn and determined as always, simply shrugged. "I said I was going to do this job. I can't back out just because of some bad weather."

The fisherwoman scoffed next to her husband. "The boy with the tattoos has some sense. You should listen to him!"

"Boy with tattoos?" He turned to look at Aang closely. "Airbender tattoos. Well, I'll be a hog monkey's uncle. You're the Avatar, ain't ya?"

"That's right." Katara nodded, smiling with Aang. A smile that quickly wiped when the fisherman snarled.

"Well, don't be so smiley about it. The Avatar disappeared for a hundred years! You turned your back on the world!"

"Don't yell at him!" Kyoko growled, stepping between the man and Aang, an ugly snarl on her face that made the fisherman tremble as he took several steps back.

"Aang would never turn his back on anyone." Katara glared at the rude man, stepping protectively in front of Aang.

The fisherman seemed to recover from his tremble, making it his turn to glare. "Oh, he wouldn't, huh? Then I guess I must have imagined the last hundred years of war and suffering."

Aang's eyes widened at the man's words. He wasn't naive - and neither was the man.

"Aang is the bravest person I know. He's done nothing but help people and save lives since I met him. It's not his fault he disappeared, right Aang?" Katara turned around to see Aang backing away.

Kyoko frowned, taking a closer step towards the nervous boy. "Aang, what's wrong?"

With a look of shock and horrified guilt on his face, Aang opened his glider and vaulted into the air, rapidly disappearing into the distance.

Sokka and Kyoko shared a look as Katara turned around towards the man, angrily.

"That's right! Keep flying!" The fisherman yelled after Aang.

"You're a horrible man!" Katara yelled, running towards Appa and taking off after Aang.

A horrible man? Yes, perhaps. But Kyoko couldn't help but think that, in a way, the old man was _right_. The hundred years war did happen, and Aang, even though it wasn't his fault, disappeared for all these years. Yes, he was a child. Yes, the responsibilities were too many for anyone to comprehend -especially for such a sweet, playful child- but the avatar did represent hope and peace. And with the avatar absent, what hope could the poor people have?

She couldn't blame Aang, but she couldn't blame the fisherman either. Perhaps it was her neutral jing, that always made her see the things from everyone's perspective. Maybe that was also the reason why she could easily side with both Zuko and Aang, whereas everyone else took a side.

"They left without saying good-bye!" Sokka whined, crossing his arms over his chest like a child.

"Your friends ain't too polite, are they?" The fisherman scoffed, stepping on the boat.

"I know! This one time, I was ..." 

The man handed Sokka a crate, interrupting him impolitely. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Get below deck!"

Kyoko stood before the boat awkwardly, unsure about what she should do. Follow Katara and find Aang? Go back in the market and steal some supplies why people weren't paying attention? Hm, yes. That sounded fun, like the good old days.

"Kyoko!" Sokka called as she started heading towards the market. She turned around, giving the boy a quizzical look. "Are you coming?" He asked, and Kyoko stared. Hard.

"Uhm..." She clenched her jaw, eyeing the ocean in front of them. She was so going to regret this. "Sure."

And oh, how right she was.

"You've ever been fishing before?" The old man asked as they managed to catch ten fish in a short amount of time.

"I've been fishing my entire life." Sokka flexed, wiggling his eyebrows at Kyoko, who rolled her eyes in response.

"Not you boy. You barely caught one. I was talking to the girl." 

Kyoko grinned at Sokka's offended face. "Yeah. My stepmother took me fishing a few times. It's not that hard. If Sokka can do it, anyone can do it."

"Yeah." Sokka nodded before his expression fell. "Hey!" He whined, smacking Kyoko's arm as she let out a laugh.

"You're funny, girl." The old man caressed his chin. He eyed the gray sky with a frown. "Hm. I'll better check the map to make sure we are close to shore. I don't like the look of the sky."

He turned towards the two teenagers again and shrugged. "There's some fresh bread under your seat. Eat it, you both look like you're starving. I don't want you passing out on my ship." And with that, he went inside the small shelter on the other side of the boat.

"Oh man, I'm starving." Sokka groaned, checking under their seats and taking out a half loaf of bread.

He went to rip it in half when Kyoko's hand took the bread right out of his hands and moved it to her face.

"You know, I _was_ going to share." He arched a brow at her, but his sarcastic tone dropped when he saw her fierce eyes checking the bread for something. She sniffed it, turned it around in all the possible ways, and ripped it in two to make sure the inside was as safe as the outside. "Uh... you're checking it for poison again." He understood, recognizing the gestures she showed earlier in the market. 

"It's safe," Kyoko said, her voice lacking the usual confident tone. "You can eat it."

She gave him half of the bread, and ripped a small part of her own, chewing slowly at it. 

Sokka ripped a small part and took a bite, but his eyes were kept on her.

"Can I... ask you something?" He softly spoke, something unusual to his character.

"Go ahead." Kyoko shrugged, watching him from the corner of her eye.

Sokka took a deep breath, trying to find a way to sound genuine, no sound of inquisition or offense. "Were you... why are you always checking it for poison? Were you... you know. Or was someone close to you poisoned... or?"

He always punched himself in the face upon noticing the sudden change in Kyoko's posture. She stiffened, tensing so hard that Sokka was afraid she'll snap in two. Her eyes darkened, the brightness changing into the shades of the storm, and for a moment Sokka feared Kyoko was going to throw him over the board for asking such a personal question.

But she quickly recovered, taking a deep breath and relaxing again against the wooden seat. "I was. Poisoned that is. When I was seven."

The piece of bread Sokka was holding fell on the wooden floor of the ship, but Sokka didn't even notice, nor cared. His mouth was hanging open, and if Kyoko wasn't busy recalling the event she just mentioned, she'd be giggling over his dumbfounded expression.

"It was also the first time I earthbended. And..." her voice lowered an octave, sending a chilling sensation in Sokka's bones, "it was also the first time I ever took a life."

As she started telling the tale, Kyoko could see herself back in that day when she closed her eyes. Dressed in dirty, ripped clothes four sizes larger, covered in mud and dust, running away in the market, hiding from Min. She was looking behind her, making sure she was by herself when she bumped into the old lady. 

Many times when Kyoko tried to sleep, she remembered that woman. Dressed in a white tunic, with long, gray hair braided similarly to Kyoko's, and her black eyes that haunted Kyoko's mind even after more than a decade since the event took place.

How the woman bribed Kyoko into helping her carry the groceries, how Kyoko sat at the woman's table when the sky turned dark. It felt like a fever dream. How sweet the woman talked to Kyoko, feeding her cherry pie that left Kyoko's mouth water.

And how quickly it all happened after that.

How her sweet, inviting expression turned dark, malicious. A face worst than any other Kyoko could imagine. _Worst than Zhao's._

How that woman looked into the girl's eyes and called her a monster. Just like her mother. How she told Kyoko about her own daughter, how she died poisoned by Gemma. Gemma killed the woman that girl was working for, and everyone accused the girl of the murder. How they forced her to drink the wine the woman consumed, how the girl died in the old woman's arms, looking more like a monster than a human because of what the poison did to her body. How the old woman soon discovered who the real murderer was - The Flying Snake Dragon leader.

Kyoko could still feel the poison burning her throat. The poisoned pie. She took a closer look and spotted the dark drops on the dessert she consumed, how clueless she was that day. She could hear herself struggling to speak, crying for help. It hurt like nothing she ever experienced. As if a dozen daggers were stabbing into every inch of her body. 

She fell off the chair as the woman continued speaking, and the pie fell over her face, the whipped cream entering her eyes and blinding her temporarily. How the woman laughed, and Kyoko cried, struggling for air, struggling to move. She could see it crystal clear... the worst moment in her life.

How the woman kneeled next to her, laughing at the girl's misery, stabbing the girl with her long, sharp nails. How in that moment, Kyoko lost signs of conscience and self-control. She still held onto her fork and feeling the woman next to her, she gathered all her remaining power, and with one swift motion, she stabbed the fork deep into the woman's eye.

And Kyoko could still feel the anxiety eating at her being as she crawled towards the door, barely alive at that point. How the woman screamed bloody murder at her blindness in one eye. How Kyoko was crying, reaching the door with her broken eyesight. How she tried her best to open the door, only to find it locked. How the woman approached her, bleeding and crying, yet her face was showing complete madness. Her good eye was glowing with hatred and maliciousness, and a terrifying grin covered her face as she held a butcher knife in her meaty hands. 

How she grabbed Kyoko's hair forcefully and pulled her against her chest, both crawling on the ground. Kyoko could swear she heard Min and Kanna's voice crying out for her, right next to the door. But Kyoko couldn't even blink, the poison killing her fast. And that was the least of her problems, as the woman was ready to slice her throat, bringing the knife larger than Kyoko's fist to the girl's small neck.

How at that moment, Kyoko could see the ghosts of the past protecting her. As her small hands patted the ground, she swore she could see her great grandmother staring guiding her, her eyes glowing fiercely. 

And at that moment, Kyoko was one with the element she tried and fail to bend before. She closed her eyes as she felt the cold blade touch her neck, and opened them to find the woman turned to stone, the knife being no exception. She passed out just as Kanna and Min broke the door, their blue eyes being the last thing she saw as the poison seemed to win the fight.

Kyoko woke up one week later, to find Min sleeping at the foot of her bed with a tormented look on her face. And she still remembered Kanna's worried yet relieved look, Jianyu's teary eyes, and her mother...

Her mother, who deserted her once again. Because Kyoko wasn't dreaming. She wasn't imagining things.

Avatar Kyoshi blessed her. She gave her the gift of earthbending and saved her life.

It was more than either Gemma or Jianyu could ever dream of. And while Jianyu seemed alright at the beginning, his mother's jealousy and coldness only made him slowly succumb to anger and gluttony as well.

And that was the last time Kyoko truly had a family.

"If Kyoshi wasn't there that day, I would have died. She blessed me, gifted me, and saved my life. And I've learned my lesson ever since. Whenever a stranger offers me food, I could still taste the metallic poison on my tongue, still feel the pain in my body."

She took a bite of the bread and closed her eyes. "But I suppose not everyone has ill intentions."

"Kyoko..." Sokka whispered, his hand taking hers in his. She tilted her head to look him in the eyes. While she tried her best not to cry at the terrible memory, Sokka was not hiding his pain. His face was soaked in tears as he brought her hand to his lips, a gesture that left Kyoko perplexed.

"Sokka..."

"I'm so sorry." He cried, squeezing her hand gently. "You didn't deserve any of this. Zhao, your mother, your brother, that wicked woman..." He gulped, grabbing her shoulder to hug her tightly to his chest. "I'm so sorry Kyoko. You didn't deserve this. You deserve to be happy. _You deserve the world._ "

Kyoko closed her eyes, feeling the tears fall unstoppable on her cheeks. But she realized as she opened her eyes again to stare at Sokka that those were happy tears. She was no longer by herself. She found people that cared for her, and she cared for them back.

"I'm ok." She smiled. She must have looked funny, smiling through the tears so brightly. "I have you guys now. I am no longer alone. I have a family now."

Sokka smiled back, both looking ridiculous. "You do. We have your back." He cupped her face, his ocean eyes managing to bring her comfort with one simple look. "I have your back. I'll protect you with all I have."

As he stared into her bright eyes, Sokka leaned in absently. As beautiful and captivating as her eyes were, he couldn't help but drop his gaze slightly to her full, rosy lips. He wondered what it would feel like to touch them... with his thumb, or with his own lips. Of course, just to try. Just to see. He didn't need to.

_He wanted to._

"Kyoko..." he whispered, unaware of Kyoko's lack of perception. In her mind, he was keeping her close to emphasize his point. She was far from realizing that Sokka's feelings might develop past the pattern of friendship. Yet if she truly looked, if she truly searched for the feelings behind his blue eyes, she would have known. It was impossible not to when he was looking at her the same way Min used to. With the same pair of bright ocean eyes.

"Watch out!" They heard, the fisherman grabbing them both by their arms and pulling them towards the other end of the boat just in time as a lightning bolt struck the water right next to the teenagers' previous seats. He dropped his hold on their arms and gave them a look that held both amusement and anger. "Too busy snogging to notice the storm?!"

Sokka blushed, _hard_. Could the fisherman read minds? No, that was stupid. But he surely wasn't wrong about snogging - they _didn't_ , but spirits, Sokka _wanted_ to.

"Still think you're smarter than your wife?" Kyoko hissed, shoving the man away. "Looks like she was right after all."

The man rolled his eyes in response, too busy panicking about the storm. 

The sky surely didn't look like it was turning kinder any time soon.

The waves were moving the boat harshly from one side to another, threatening to throw them over.

Sokka was still holding onto Kyoko, a mortified expression on his face. "We're too young to die!"

"I'm not, but I still don't wanna!" The fisherman cried.

"Look!" Kyoko pointed up at Appa who was flying close above.

"We're saved!" Sokka cried in happiness, waving his free arm around for Appa to spot.

"Hang onto the rope," Aang shouted, handing them a rope. The three grabbed it eagerly, not wanting to be crushed by the merciless waves.

But as soon as they reached Appa's saddle, a wave swallowed them all, and if it weren't for Aang's avatar state, they would have most likely drowned. Thankfully, they were once again in Appa's saddle, safe and sound.

"Spirits." Kyoko gasped as she and Sokka laid spread around on the saddle. "I'm never going fishing again."

"Copy that." Sokka groaned, feeling his heart beating faster than usual in his chest.

At least they were safe now and soon found shelter in a cave, drying around a fire next to the fisherwoman, enhancing pleasantries as the man apologized to Aang, grateful for that avatar saving his life.

Kyoko was happy as she and Sokka laughed about their near-death experience, while Katara and Aang listened both worried and amused. She felt happy.

She surely would have felt completely different had she spotted the prince that haunted her thoughts ever since the day she joined Team Avatar. 

But, unknown to her, Zuko had spotted the girl. And one glance was enough to remind him of how much he missed her.

He was going to get her back, one way or another.

_He swore on his honor._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Put on the seatbelts because 'The Blue Spirit' is coming next. There would be an au for that episode and many others to come. There is nothing wrong with canon - I love the show as it is. But in this fanfic, other than Zuko's chase after his honor, there is something else he cares about just as much - Kyoko. And that would make many changes which I hope you guys will enjoy as much as I do. And they won't be minor changes either. Not giving spoilers, but The Crossroads of Destiny will have a much different ending :)  
> Also, if you think that Sokka's feelings towards Kyoko are too rushed, remember that Sokka is the kind of person to fall in love at the first sight. It happened twice.


	13. The Blue Spirit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Blue Spirit saves Kyoko and Aang from Zhao. Kyoko reunites with someone she didn't expect to see in a long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally the blue spirit episode. Always been one of my favorites :)  
> Also, the fact that Lucius Malfoy voices Zhao will always be mind-blowing to me.
> 
> Warning: triggering scenes, and (slight) sexual harassment and foul language

<https://open.spotify.com/track/1FrrRHxMKVvd85O3gancxW?si=36a67b89701f4a0f>

_'You're disappearing all the time_   
_But I still see you in the light_   
_For you, the shadows fight_   
_And it's beautiful but there's that tug in the sight_   
_I must stop time traveling_   
_You're always on my mind'_

"Absolutely not! The Yuyan Archers stay here. Your request is denied, Commander Zhao." 

Zuko stood on the roof, his mask protecting his identity rather drastically. His eyes were narrowed as he listened to Zhao's and Colonel Shinu's conversation. He had to make sure Zhao wouldn't get the avatar before him - and he won't ever get his hands on Kyoko again.

"Colonel Shinu, please reconsider ... Their precision is legendary. The Yuyan can pin a fly to a tree from one hundred yards away ... without killing it." Zhao grew more annoyed with each passing second. "You're wasting their talents using them as mere security guards."

"I can do whatever I want with their talents, they're _my_ archers, and what I say goes." Colonel Shinu looked down at Zhao, denying his request once again.

"But my search for the Avatar is-"

Cutting Zhao off mid-sentence, Colonel Shinu stepped close to him and scoffed angrily. "Is nothing but a vanity project! We're fighting a real war here, and I need every man I've got, commander."

"What about that girl that is now traveling with him? Gemma's daughter. She is just as dangerous - she's a threat to-"

"To whom, Commander?!" Shiny glowered. "Don't think the word hasn't gotten around about what you did to that child ever since the sages heard her accusations and your confessions." He reddened in the face, growing angrier by each second. "We're respectful men of the Fire Nation, not animals. If she were from the Fire Nation, you'd be removed from your position quicker than you could say 'avatar'!"

Zuko's eyes darkened at the mention of Kyoko. The memory of her cut deep through his heart even though a month passed since she ran away with the avatar.

"But she isn't Fire Nation, is she?" Zhao snarled, glaring at his superior. "She is a dangerous criminal and her capture is as important as the avatar's." His eyes seemed to glow with gluttony. "Imagine the power we'd gather if we chained her. It would send a blow right through Gemma's powers. Aren't you tired of the Dao Fei destroying our troops and stealing our riches and materials? If we get to Gemma, we get to the heart of the Dao Fei. It would be over for them."

Or, Zhao thought to himself, he could get them to join the Fire Nation. Turn that bandit girl to his side, make her his bitch. Her power as an earthbender would be what they needed to add to their side of the war.

"You're delusional." Shinu scoffed, sending the man a disgusted look. "You're too lost in your lust after that poor girl to realize the worthless meaning of your words. The girl-"

"The girl can move mountains with a flicker of her wrist. Imagine the advantages we'll have against the two remaining nations if we could have her on our side."

Zuko dug his fingers in the roof's bricks, struggling to keep his anger to himself. He barely managed not to throw a brick right at Zhao's head, or even better, attack the man with his swords. How dare he consider making Kyoko a weapon? How dare he even think about her? How dare he mention her name?

"She is a child. Haven't you put her through enough? How about you put all your efforts into the war and forget about your disgusting, disgraceful lust over a girl young enough to be your daughter?"

"But-!"

"That's final! I don't wanna hear another word about it!"

Zhao fumed. He was ready to challenge the older man to an Agni Kai when he spotted a hawk as it reached Colonel Shinu. Shinu opened the container on the hawk's back and read the message inside with a puzzled expression. 

"News from Fire Lord Ozai?" Zhao asked, intrigued.

Shinu handed Zhao the message with irritation. Zhao took the message, rudely brushing past the Colonel as he read the news. Zhao smiled smugly.

"It appears I've been promoted to Admiral. My request ... is now an order."

As Shinu bowed respectfully to Zhao and left, Zuko felt anxiety rushing through his body.

With Zhao gaining power, it was almost impossible for Zuko to capture the avatar. 

_Furthermore, Kyoko had never been more in danger._

Kyoko has been sick before. 

Once, when she was five. Both her and Min have been bathing in the cold river at the edge of their island, and both got a cold for two weeks after. The second time was when she was around eleven. She was left behind intentionally during a raid and been chained by the Earth Kingdom guards for almost a week until Min, Kai, Saki, Lek, and Kanna managed to save her. She was sick from the lack of food and the cold eating at her bones for almost a month.

The last time was after she escaped Zhao. She was sick until Jet and the Freedom Fighters found her one month later and took her under their protective wings.

In all these times, Kyoko had felt terrible. Headaches, sour throat, cramps, and fever. 

Not once, however, has she lost so much of her conscious mind as she did at that moment.

Sheltered under the ruins of an old city, Kyoko and Sokka both laid covered in furs, their eyes teary and their nose filled with fluids.

In other words, Kyoko felt like _shit_.

Katara, bless her heart, was trying her best to help them as much as possible. She pressed two wet rags on their foreheads, a deep frown on her face.

"This should bring your fever down."

Sokka laughed, absentmindedly. "You know what I love about Appa the most? His sense of humor."

Kyoko found herself snorting like a pig at his words. "Appa is so funny."

"That's nice. I'll tell him." Katara sighed, looking at Aang worried.

Appa let out a growl, and Kyoko snorted again. "Classic Appa."

"How are they doing?" Aang asked the waterbender, staring at his sick friends with worry in his eyes.

"Not so good, being out in that storm really did a number on them."

Aang sighed, rubbing his forehead stressfully. "I couldn't find any ginger root for the tea. But I found a map. There's an herbalist institute on top of that mountain. We could probably find a cure for Sokka and Kyoko there."

"Aang, they're in no condition for travel. They just need more rest. I'm sure they'll be better by tomorrow."

Just as she finished her sentence, Katara started coughing, feeling her throat burning. 

Aang gasped, taking a step back. "Not you too!"

"Relax, it was just a little cough. I'm fi-" Katara coughed again, this time with greater force, and lightly groaned after.

Aang shielded his face carefully. "That's how Sokka and Kyoko started yesterday. Now, look at them! Sokka thinks he's an earthbender like Kyoko, and Kyoko thinks she's flying."

"Take that, you rock!" Sokka flailed his arms as if he was hitting something.

"I don't like flying! Appa, can we go eat cinnamon spice instead?" Kyoko laughed, waving her arms like a bird.

Aand and Katara gave them a strange look before the Airbender sighed at the girl. 

"A few more hours and you'll be talking nonsense, too. I'm going to go find some medicine!" He grabbed his glider and began to head out just as a flash of lightning strikes. "Uh, maybe it's safer if I go on foot." He glanced at Appa and Momo. "Keep an eye on them, guys." Appa groaned while Momo chittered.

"Ha, ha! You guys are killing me!" Sokka and Kyoko laughed loudly, making Katara groan.

"We haven't been able to pick up the Avatar's trail since the storm, but if we continue heading northeast..." The Lieutenant stopped talking as a bigger ship stopped next to theirs.

Zuko frowned, feeling a shiver down his spine. "What do they want?"

Iroh chuckled. "Perhaps, a sporting game of Pai Sho!"

Three soldiers from the other ship walked in, and Zuko tensed until he felt pain in his back.

"The hunt for the Avatar has been given prime importance. All information regarding the Avatar _must_ be reported directly to Admiral Zhao."

Zuko gritted his teeth and the soldiers shared a nervous look.

"Zhao has been promoted? Well, good for him!" Iroh spoke as he made a move in his Pai Sho game, another player slapping his hand against his own forehead as if he lost.

"I've got nothing to report to Admiral Zhao. Now get off my ship and let us pass!" Zuko glared.

"Admiral Zhao is not allowing ships in or out of this area."

"Off my ship!"

A braver soldier stepped forward, handing Zuko two sheets of paper. One was featured a wanted poster of the avatar, and the other... was a wanted poster of Kyoko.

"One more thing." The soldier stepped back. "The girl has lived on this ship. Admiral Zhao demands any information about her to be reported to him. Her weaknesses, her power, her power limits. And if you have any object of hers, don't hesitate to use a shirshu. The Fire Lord will pay large amounts of money on her head. Preferably alive but..." The soldier sneered, a hungry look in his eyes, "you can always have fun with them, prisoners, before you hand them over." The soldiers behind him laughed, and he took it as a sign to go on, unaware of Iroh and Zuko's furious looks. "You know how they say... Dao Fei girls are the best whores of them all."

"Yeah," his friend and coworker laughed next to him, "words go around that Zhao had some fun with that girl a few months ago. Seeing how keen he is to get that slut back, she must do a good job with that filthy mouth of hers." 

The next thing they knew, they were grabbed by their throat, meeting the prince's furious eyes. 

" _You_ are the filthy ones. Taking pleasure in others' pain and torture." He growled, snapping their necks vividly in his mind. "Go tell that disgusting man that I have nothing to report to him about Kyoko, and if I ever hear you or your fellow guards talk like this about her, _I will rip your tongues out and feed them to you._ Do you understand?!"

The two gulped, barely managing to nod under the pain his hold was giving them. 

"Good. Get the hell out of my ship before I act on my threat." He spat, letting the two guards fall on the ground bruisingly. The other guard, the quiet one, helped them up, bowed to the prince, and hurried to get out.

"Damn. Did he fuck her too?" The previously quiet guard scoffed, unaware that everyone could still hear them.

"Seems so. Looks like she's loose for the Fire Nation." Another one laughed.

"Think she'll suck me too?"

"Have you seen her wanted poster? With tits like that, I'd _pay_ her to do me too."

"Must be nice being a prince. He must be rich if he kept her around so long."

Zuko let out a growl, ready to jump after them and act on his threat _for good_ , but Iroh's stiff hand on his shoulder stopped him from doing something he'll most likely regret.

"They can't speak like that about her, uncle." Zuko clenched his jaw, his voice so high it seemed like he was crying. He wasn't far from that, though.

"Some people have lost humanity on the way." Iroh narrowed his eyes, glaring at the retreating men. "Some have never been human, to begin with."

"Uncle, what if..." He stared down at her wanted poster, tracing his thumb over her drawing with watery eyes. 

"You and I both know Kyoko. She's as though as she looks. She will be fine, Prince Zuko. Have faith in her."

Zuko spared the wanted poster one last look, and brought it up to his face, ready to tear it apart. He stopped right before he did, however. Who knows when he'll get to see her again?

With a silent sigh, he ripped the drawing from the writing and folded her image, placing it in his pocket.

Zhao could burn for eternity for all that he cared.

But Zuko would be damned if he let that bastard get his hands on Kyoko ever again.

"Katara..." Sokka spoke in a quiet voice. "Please... water..."

Katara, now as sick as Sokka and Kyoko, opened her eyes weakly, eyeing Momo hopefully. " Listen carefully, Momo," she held up a waterskin, "I need you to take this to the river, and fill it with water. Got it?" Momo took the skin and flies off.

Kyoko let out a deep breath as she opened her eyes from her stumble, barely making out the scene in front of her. She tried to sleep again but to no good. She closed her eyes, trying to listen and feel her surroundings to help her doze off.

She could feel the river just a few meters away, and the footsteps of the wild animals around the forest surrounding them. Kyoko felt a smile creep on her face. Even while sick, her earthbending was clearly improving. 

Zuko let out fire from his mouth, his anger taking over his bending. 

He tried to remain calm, but how could he? Kyoko was in danger, the avatar was out of his hands, and Zhao was stealing his glory. 

Everything was turning worse and worse with each passing moment.

"Is everything okay? It's been almost an hour and you haven't given the men an order." Iroh asked, giving Zuko a worried look.

Zuko clenched his jaw. Was his uncle truly asking him that?

"I don't care what they do." He muttered. He really didn't care. All his mind was focused on was trying to convince the prince that the former bandit was _safe_.

"Don't give up hope yet. You can still find the Avatar before Zhao."

Zuko turned his back on his uncle, closing his fists. "How, Uncle? With Zhao's resources, it's just a matter of time before he captures the Avatar. " He pocketed the drawing of Kyoko with trembling hands. "My honor, my throne, my country... Kyoko... I'm about to lose them all. I can't let Zhao get his hands on her."

He eyed the shore with a troubled face, his amber eyes burning with desperation, hope, and determination.

Under the sunset, Zuko imagined Kyoko's bright eyes staring back at him. 

" _I won't give up on you_." He promised. " _I won't_."

On the other side of the island, Kyoko's mind was finally recovering its conscience. Barely, but enough for her to feel the vibrations through the earth. 

"What the hell?" she gasped. 

Something was going on... something _bad_.

"Aang..." she whispered. Aang was in trouble.

_Aang was in trouble and no one was there to help him._

Kyoko groaned, letting herself slide off Appa until her back rested on the cold ground. 

"Kyoko..." Katara struggled to speak, eyeing her with concern. "What's going on?"

"Shh." Kyoko shushed her, waving her arm around numbly. "I'll be back."

Holding her breath, Kyoko let the ground swallow her before Katara had the chance to respond. She traveled for less than thirty seconds under the muddy ground, and when she finally appeared back on the surface, she barely conscious self realized why the ground was muddy. 

Because it _was_ mud. 

"Kyoko!" Aang gasped, rushing to help her stand. 

"Aang." Kyoko struggled to stand on her knees. Her anxiety was turning more stressful with each passing moment. "Your arrow fell off your hand." Kyoko laughed, eyeing the arrow attached to Aang's sleeve. "Ooh, I thought it was blue. Now it's woody." She laughed again, louder. "Aang you're made of wood. You're a woody Aang. Aang the woody. The woody arrow Aang. Arrow woody-"

An arrow flying straight to her face made her let out a bloody scream, most likely waking up all the wild animals around.

"There's no time Kyoko!" Aang cried, picking her up. "Quick, grab one of these frogs and such on them!"

Kyoko laughed, despite her fear. "Suck on frogs? That's new. I don't like frogs. I don't want to _suck_ them.

Aang yelped as he barely dodged a dozen of arrows. But carrying a helpless Kyoko while the frogs under his shirt kept tingling him, not to mention he was running in the mud was stopping him from protecting themselves properly.

And that's how they both got caught, tripped with arrows in the middle of the morass. 

When Kyoko opened her eyes, the first thought that went through her mind was how warm it was in the room. Really, could someone just open a window?

"She's awake, sir." Kyoko heard a womanly voice talk in front of her. She stared up at the ceiling with wide eyes. 

"Wonderful." Kyoko froze, recognizing the voice. However, she couldn't move. She couldn't even flinch.

Her head was burning, her vision a blur. Still, she could easily recognize Zhao's face as the man lifted her chin, staring perilously at the chained girl. 

"It took me a year, but..." His thumb went inside her mouth, and if Kyoko wasn't too sick to fully realize what was happening, she would have bitten his finger off without hesitation. "Here you are again, _my pet_. Welcome back. You look better than last time. The avatar must have fed you better than the street rats you used to consume, hasn't he?" Zhao let out a cruel laugh.

"Shall we wash her sir?" One of the maids asked, eyeing the girl pitifully. "She is covered in mud."

"Yes," Zhao took his thumb from the girl's mouth with a pop sound and wiped it on his tunic. "Wash her well. Give her the finest robe and lingerie you can find, and send her to my chamber." He sneered, cupping the girl's face. "You're awfully quiet, my pet. Or is this what you've been longing for after all this time?"

Kyoko tilted her head, blinking fast at the strange man. "I don't think I like you." She snorted, sticking her tongue out at the man. "You've got a funny beard." Kyoko giggled, lifting herself on her toes. "The light looks funny. Like fireflies." She let out a piggy snort, throwing her head back. "I wish I was a firefly."

Zhao took a step back from the girl, staring at her as if she grew another head. The maid was quick to explain, however. 

"The archers reported she's been like this since she's been captured, sir. It's the effect of a cold. It shall pass in a week, but I know a combination of herbs that could-"

"So she's not being herself at the moment." Zhao caressed his beard. "Prepare the herbs and give them to me. I certainly don't want that cold myself. Yet..." His lips formed a dangerous smirk, one that sent a shiver down the maid's spine. "Can you prepare something to make her condition twice as bad?"

"Sir, you..." The woman widened her eyes, flinching slightly. "You want me to... drug her?"

"Precisely." Zhao grinned, tracing his thumb over Kyoko's chin while the girl continued to stare at the candles burning around them. Or 'fireflies', as she called them previously. "Make sure to give her something against pregnancy as well. I don't want my line stained with Dao Fei blood." He scoffed in disgust, stepping away from the girl. 

The maid watched the man with cautiousness, not keen on being on the receiving end of his lust like the poor girl chained in front of them.

_Especially when the girl wasn't even half aware of what was going on._

Aang let out an ear tearing scream as the masked figure approached him. To his complete shock, the blue masked person unchained him with a few swifts of his dao swords. Aang dropped on his legs, staring with his mouth open wide at the figure.

"Who are you? What's going on? Are you here to rescue me?" The Blue Spirit opened the door and motioned for Aang to follow. "I'll take that as a 'yes'."

Aang followed him out past the gagged and tied guards at the door to his chamber. He stopped running, looking around the empty corridor nervously.

"Please, my friend... she's also been captured. I can't leave without her... please..."

Aang couldn't see behind the figures' mask... but if he could, he'd see the person widening their eyes in horror. What he did notice, though, was how the masked person froze on their tracks, tensing so hard Aang was afraid they were going to snap in two.

In one swift motion, the masked figure grabbed one of the guards hanging from the ceiling and slammed him in the wall, holding his swords dangerously close to the guard's neck.

The guard seemed to get the message crystal clear. "She's in the admiral's personal chambers. Down the hall and straight ahead until you reach a red, metal door. Please, have mercy!"

The Blue Spirit dropped the useless man on the ground, running in the direction the man pointed. Aang couldn't help but notice that the masked figure seemed just as eager to save Kyoko as he himself was.

Could the blue spirit know Kyoko? _Personally?_

They reached the red door in no time and with one strong kick on the locket, the door opened with a thud.

What Aang found both shocked and infuriated him.

Laying on Zhao's bed stood Kyoko, her hands chained to the edge of the bed in an... inappropriate sight. 

She was... well, half-naked. The only things that covered her body were one-piece red lace lingerie and a satin robe that barely covered any skin other than her arms and her back. 

"Oh... Kyoko..."

The girl was keeping her eyes closed, singing a soft tune to herself. Her eyes were beautifully done with sharp eyeliner, and her lips were painted a crimson shade. She was covered in gold jewelry, all over her body. Bracelets around her arms and her legs, piercings in her ears, nose, and belly button, and her tattoos were exposed intentionally. Her usually braided hair was beautifully brushed down her back, falling in waves down to her behind. 

Zuko, disguised as the blue spirit, was absolutely repulsed by the sight. To see her chained like an animal to a monster's bed, ready to be devoured by the foul man. 

_Over his dead body_ , Zuko growled. 

He approached the girl and unchained her hands with one move of his swords, making her yelp as her hands fell abruptly on the bed.

The Prince placed his swords back just as Aang ran towards the girl, hugging her so tight Zuko was afraid he'll break her in two. Quickly making sure no one was around, he opened the drawer in Zhao's chamber, and took the first cloth he saw - a long, black tunic. He approached Kyoko quickly, taking off her robe and placing the tunic over her head faster than lighting, careful not to have his eyes linger over her toned body in such a disrespectful way.

"I'm so sorry, Kyoko." Aang cried, helping the girl up. As soon as her feet touched the floor, she fell, her back touching the floor bruisingly.

"Oof." The girl laughed, fluttering her tongue around as if she could taste the air around. "Look, I am flying!" She let out another piggy snort, moving her arms and legs around like a child.

Zuko stared at her in complete surprise and concern. Was he... seeing things right?

Aang, however, didn't seem too surprised by this. "Oh no, the flu got worse." He helped her up, barely keeping her steady. Zuko took her in his arms from the boy, holding her bridal style, tightly. 

"Tea." Kyoko giggled. "The tea tasted funny. That terrible man said it's called a... a dug... duz... drug... yes, drug!" She shook her head, pointing at the ceiling. "Maid said it's a bad thing. Drug!" She clicked her tongue, and finding the sound funny, she continued to do so even as they ran away from the chamber.

Kyoko eyed Aang and pointed rather rudely. "You look familiar! Blue woody arrow!" 

Woody? Zuko shook his head. Drugged Kyoko was a mess, but at least she was safe in his arms. As soon as they were out of the building -

"These red colors remind me of Z... Zzz... Zuk." She groaned, bringing her hand to her forehead. Zuko almost stopped running, too shocked to hear his name from Kyoko, even though she wasn't herself at the moment, and he was masked. "Zuko!" She giggled, a smile appearing on her face. "He is _mean_. But he had... uh... soft lips." She giggled again, waving her arms in front of her body.

Both Aang and Zuko widened their eyes at her words, but for rather different reasons. 

"You... kissed Zuko?!" Aang gasped, his mouth hanging open.

"I did?" Kyoko gasped, dropping her arms on her chest. "Oh _wow_. I want cinnamon spice." She closed her eyes, humming against the masked figure's chest. "Like him..." 

Zuko felt his heart skip a beat. She... remembered kissing him. She remembered the texture of his lips, even if it happened over a month ago, and only once. She remembered the cinnamon spices and... she was happy. His memory made Kyoko happy.

Maybe he wasn't the only one longing after her. 

Maybe she was longing after him, too.

Aang stopped, frozen on his spot as he heard frog noises from around him. His eyes brightened, filled with hope.

"Wait! These frogs could help us. Help _her_."

Before Zuko could question what the hell the avatar meant, Aang already grabbed one of the frogs and shoved it into the girl's mouth.

"Suck that Kyoko! It will make you feel better!"

As Kyoko started sucking the frozen frog as if it were a lollipop, Zuko felt absolutely horrified by the sight. Just... what did the avatar hope to achieve by making Kyoko... suck... a frozen frog?

His question was soon answered as Kyoko's slightly darker eye shade return to their previous emerald color. She stopped sucking, and when she eyed the thing she held in her mouth, she spat it, flinching back until she dropped on the floor, pushing Zuko back.

"What the fuck?!" She shouted, spitting on the ground to get rid of the taste. 

"Kyoko?" Aang asked, dropping on his knees to check on her. "How are you feeling?"

Kyoko wiped her tongue on the black material of the tunic, absolutely repulsed. "As if I've been sick and weak for an entire day, then got shot at with arrows and almost drowned in mud, only to be brought before the person I hate the most in my life and let me tell you the reunion wasn't pleasant, even while being out of my mind. Oh, and also I've been _drugged,_ stripped, and chained, all in one fucking day!" She hissed, struggling to get up. "So, in other words, I feel just _wonderful_."

Instead of the dramatic response she wanted, she was met by Aang's arms in one tight hug. 

"You're you again!" Aang smiled happily. "Grumpy and sarcastic... but still!"

Kyoko struggled to steady herself on her feet, all the previous anger she possessed being reduced to anxiety. "Aang... we need to get out of here as fast as possible. If the archers find us, we're goners." 

Before Aang could even think of an answer, Kyoko already had the blue masked figure, slammed against the wall. 

"Who are you? Why are you helping us?!"

"Kyoko, he helped us both escape!" Aang placed his hand on her shoulder, trying to make her understand. 

"Figures." Kyoko narrowed her eyes. "Did you not see the wanted posters hanging around everywhere? The price on your head and mine is enough to make a person rich for hundreds of years." She pushed her knee in the person's stomach, and although her body was drastically weaker than usual, Zuko still had trouble breathing under her harsh hold. "So tell me exactly _why_ you are here because if this is a trap and you end up just as bad as Zhao, I swear to all the spirits around, I will rip your throat with. my. _teeth._ "

Even as Aang grew anxious as they heard the guards approaching rather fast, Kyoko didn't back down. Her eyes could pierce right through the stranger's mask, and even if Zuko was familiar with her bright green eyes, he couldn't help but be intimidated. On one hand, revealing his identity to the avatar was a great risk that he wasn't willing to take. On the other hand, not cooperating with the former bandit was only going to slow them down. He couldn't push her back or threaten her either... - even if he tried, he'd fail. 

Kyoko had no idea it was him behind the mask, and Zuko remembered too well what happened the last time she was furious -though justified- and she killed the pirate that insulted her. Zuko quickly made his mind, realizing that being on the receiving end of her anger was the most dangerous thing at the moment - especially when the fortress was surrounded by her element.

With hesitating hands, Zuko slowly took a hold of his mask, lifting it off his face for a mere second. It was enough for both Aang and Kyoko to see his face, however. 

Aang gasped, taking a step back so fast that he hit the wall behind harshly.

Kyoko, however, remained still, unable to move. For a second, a sweet, silent second, all the anger left her body. He was here to help them out. He was here to help her out. He. 

_Prince_ _Zuko_.

Zuko carefully adjusted his mask back, making a shushing sound, and both Aang and Kyoko took it as a sign to keep quiet. The guards were right behind them, from both sides. In the dark of the night, Kyoko finally realized one important thing.

Her fans were still on Appa's saddle.

Which meant that the only thing she could rely on was her raw, barely controlled earthbending.

But, seeing as she was the only earthbender in the entire fortress, and everything was surrounded by stone and earth, Kyoko actually considered tearing the place to the ground. If she was fast enough, she, Aang, and Zuko would be the only ones to survive. She could bury the whole place as easily as it was for her to breathe.

But just as she held out her hands to go on with her decision, she stopped.

There were innocent, helpless people here too. The maids, the people forced to live here, those who tried their best to make a living for their families. If back in her Dao Fei days Kyoko wouldn't have hesitated to kill, things were different now.

She was fighting _for_ the avatar, _with_ the avatar. The avatar was the symbol of peace and balance. Everything Kyoko was raised against, and everything she wished to become.

And just as the guards rushed into the hall where they stood, Kyoko grabbed Aang and Zuko and jumped underground, creating a tunnel large enough for them to breathe.

The guards barely caught a glimpse of the three, before the ground swallowed them whole.

"Spirits..." Aang sighed in relief, resting his back against the ground. "I really need to learn earthbending." He spoke, giving Kyoko a toothy grin.

Kyoko took a deep breath of air as she looked around. It smelled horrible, but it was understandable. They ended up in the sewers under the fortress... definitely not something Kyoko was looking forward to ever do. 

"All in time kid."

Aang had no time to answer as Zuko leaped towards him, slamming him against the filthy stone walls, holding the boy's shirt in his fists. 

"Zuko!" Kyoko warned, grabbing him by the shoulders and pulling him back. "Keep your hands off Aang!" 

"I have him right here. Don't try to stop me, Kyoko." He took off his mask, amber eyes meeting her brilliant green ones after so many weeks of absence. "Don't make me fight you."

Kyoko snarled, stepping between the two, her body protecting Aang from Zuko. "Don't make _me_ fight _you_." She glared. "Don't forget you are surrounded by my element. My body might be weak right now, but that won't stop me from stopping you."

As the two stared at one another in a battle for dominance, Aang felt small, intruding even. 

"Uhm..." He flinched as the two turned to look at him, their faces still frowned in glares. "Maybe we should put all of our energy in trying to get out of here? I'm... pretty sure that the guards are on their way towards us right now... and Kyoko you're not really in the best condition to fight right now, and my airbending is pretty limited here."

Aang almost regretted talking as he saw Zuko send him a murderous glare. He... was definitely not a very calm person. Add Kyoko to the equation, and Aang was pretty sure they were going to get caught because of their lack of advance towards an exit.

To his absolute relief, Kyoko softened her harsh look and sighed. "Aang is right. We need to get out of here fast." She eyed Zuko again, trying her best to reason with him. "Look, I've had a horrifying day, Zuko. I'm... I'm _so_ tired. Please, just this once, make a good decision. Leave Aang alone; getting out of here is more important than anything. I don't know what I'll do if we get captured again. If I have to face Zhao again..."

Zuko opened his mouth to speak but thought better of it. He stared at her, ashamed of himself. He hadn't had time to consider how she might even feel to be in this situation. She was captured by the man who abused and harassed her, she's been drugged and humiliated, stripped and chained, displayed like a trophy while she wasn't even conscious. 

What kind of person was he to take advantage of such a situation when the girl he cared about was barely holding herself on her legs?

His cheeks burned red in embarrassment and shame at his own self. Both Aang and Kyoko noticed his discomfort... he wasn't good at hiding his emotions. Not the way his father, or his sister could. 

"Forgive me." He whispered, and while Aang was shocked by the switch in his temper, Kyoko was satisfied with her achievement of making him realize the situation they were in. "I didn't consider how you might feel... I am sorry Kyoko. And I'm so sorry you've been treated this way." The hand that wasn't holding his mask slowly reached for her face, and when she gave him a small nod he cupped her cold cheek in his warm gloved hand, leaned his body towards her. "If I could take your pain away, I won't hesitate to do it."

"You can." She breathed out, closing her eyes as his forehead came to rest against his. "By helping us get out of here safely. No 'capture the avatar' nonsense tonight. Please?"

Zuko sighed, his warm breath sending a pleasant feeling against her face. He took in her flowery scent and at that moment he missed her more than ever. He wanted to get out of there, to free her of the pain and humiliation, to place a crown of roses upon her head and spoil her with riches and his affection. 

He wanted her to be safe. He wanted her to be happy.

"Alright." He whispered, his other hand wrapping around her lower back, pulling her close to his body. "For you." 

Kyoko felt her heart skip a beat. Her hands moved by their own will, wrapping around Zuko's neck. For a moment, the world was quiet. No guards were chasing them, no evil tyrant on her tail, no avatar to capture or protect. 

It was quiet. It was tender. It was them.

Just Kyoko and Zuko, and no else. She was no longer a bandit Dao Fei, he was no longer a banished prince. They were two teens who seemed to find one another through all the darkness and the chaos.

It was too good to be true. And like all the good things come to an ending, so did their moment. 

"Uh... guys... do you hear that...?"

Kyoko opened her eyes and allowed herself to _listen,_ not with her ears, but with her seismic sense.

And what she found out was not a pleasant thing. 

"Fifty people coming towards us at a fast speed, from all sides of this tunnel." She frowned, pulling away from Zuko slightly, her hands falling back to her sides. "There are archers as well!" She gasped, removing Zuko's hands from hers. Panic flashed through their eyes, all tenderness was forgotten. They were in danger.

Zuko placed back his mask and drew his swords, Aang was ready to fight, and Kyoko searched for a way out. 

"There's water underneath. Aang, do you think you can waterbend us fast towards the other hand of the shore?"

Aang panicked, shaking his head with shame in his eyes. "I barely learned how to waterbend a bubble. I'm sorry."

Kyoko wanted to assure him it was alright, but they weren't fools. There was no place for soothing words when their lives were in danger. 

"I can't firebend." Zuko reminded her. "They'll figure out my identity if I do. I'll be a traitor to my own nation."

"I'm not strong enough to fight." Kyoko reminded them. "The drugs and the fever did a number on me."

"We can't fight them." Aang decided. "We need to figure out a way out."

When Kyoko was eleven, her bandit group raided a minister's wedding. Min bended ice around the building, Kai firebended at the guards, Saki chi blocked the people, and Lek held machetes to the throat of the minister. Min and Saki were twelve, Kai was thirteen, and Lek was fourteen, yet they had no problem getting inside the mansion.

But when several guards attacked them as they got out, it was Kyoko who saved their lives. With one hand she held the bags of jewels and gold, and with the other, she parted the ground in two, moving the entire land away from them before she earthbended them underground and out of anyone's reach. 

She has been the one to figure a way in and out and plans every single move since she learned how to walk. Her weakness has always been her strength. The raw power that seemed to pale in comparison to her brother's elegant, controlled bending, was also the key to her survival and unmatched gift. 

There were good and bad benders in this world, benders who learned everything from scratch. Earthbenders who learned how to move a pebble before they could dream about lifting a rock.

But Kyoko?

Kyoko was blessed by Avatar Kyoshi herself.

Kyoko learned how to move islands before she could manipulate pebbles. While Jianyu was struggling to move a boulder, Kyoko learned to move mountains

And now, she saw herself as the bridge between freedom and chains. She was their only hope. 

And as the archers started shooting their way, Kyoko did what she always did best.

_She fought a way out._

Kyoko slammed her right foot on the filthy, muddy ground, and the world fell quiet. And then, as if she was the earth itself, she moved, one with the stones and embers. 

She waited, and she listened. She could see the Blind Bandit, Toph Beifong, bending as if it wasn't a gift, but an extension of her own self. She drew her foot back so graciously it looked less like bending and more like dancing, and the earth rose, trapping the advancing guards in a cage of stone. The ones coming from behind yelled, sending flames their way, but the flames never reached Kyoko, Aang, and Zuko.

Columns rose from underground, merciless cages filled with dirt, and animal skeletons trapped them from all sides, threatening to crush their bones if they so much as breathed. They weren't dead, but there was no way for them to ever get out of there without the help of a talented earthbender. One wrong move and they were crushed. Boulders rose on top of their columns, Kyoko's control being the only thing stopping them from crushing over the men's helpless bodies. Stones wrapped around their legs and up to their hands, cementing them and making it impossible for them to ever be set free.

Several started crying. They were going to die, slowly, cruelly, forgotten by the world and mourned by their families.

And Kyoko didn't give a fuck. Those were the men that captured her like an animal, and now they were crying and shouting like animals too. Those were the men that listened to her cries, saw her naked, whipped, and bruised. They saw a bleeding child, a helpless girl, and instead of helping, they touched her, they punched and threatened her, they laughed at her, they humiliated her.

"Do you remember me?" She shouted, hot tears falling down her cheeks. "I told you I will kill you one day. When your whips touched my skin, when your fire burned my body, I promised I will find each and every single one of you and I will skin you all alive." She yelled, holding her hands in front of her body and barely controlling the earth from crushing them anymore. She wanted them dead. She wanted them gone.

"My name is Kyoko, heir of Avatar Kyoshi, daughter of Gemma, leader of The Flying Snake Dragons." Kyoko stepped closer to them, obvious to the looks Zuko and Aang were giving her. Pity, terror, and concern. "Remember my name. Remember my face." She stopped as she came eye to eye with them, taking joy in their mortified, tears strained faces. "I am the one who will tear your kingdom down."

But there was something Kyoko would always remember. Years ago, she wouldn't hesitate to kill. She wouldn't hesitate to crush their bones, to snap their necks. Yet she's been helpless too, she's been shown mercy and she's been given a second chance.

Sometimes, being good, being _human,_ was one's greatest strength. 

"I am also the one who shows you mercy. I am the one who held your lives in my hands and set you all free. Remember this the next time you raise your fire fists in my face."

Her hands dropped, and all the columns and boulders returned to the ground as if they were never up, to begin with. 

Stone chains rose from the ground as she moved her left hand forward, but none of the men seemed to care. They stared at her, frozen, no tears left to cry. They would never show such fear and stillness, not even to their fearsome Firelord.

"Remember," Kyoko went on, taking a step towards them. "It is not your Firelord that controls nature and moves mountains. _I do_."

And with that, she took Aang and Zuko by the arms and lead them through the dark depth of the tunnel. Both boys were too stunned to even remember how to breathe, and it wasn't until they crossed the water underground and hit the shore, Kyoko bending them an exit, that the two could make a sound.

Aang starred at her as she moved ahead of them, her wavy, smoothly brushed hair falling on her buff shoulders, the moonlight glowing on her skin no matter they just came out from the filthy, disgusting sewers. Even as the avatar, he felt small compared to her. Not just as a bender, but as a person. Mentally, he dumbed he'd have the power to hold the line between death and life for another being and make the right decision. He doubted he'd ever hurt another the way Kyoko could, and he doubted he'd be wise to win yet remain pure.

Zuko was different. As soon as they were safely hidden in the depth of the woods, he let Aang walk ahead, and stopped Kyoko with his hand. He let his mask drop on the ground, and gently turned her body towards him, one hand softly curling a hair strand from her face between his fingers, while the other held on her waist. 

"Zuko?" She asked, her previously teary eyes seeming to shine from the moonlight they shared so many nights cuddling under. 

He dropped her hair and let it fall over her shoulder, and chose to cup her cheek again, tracing his thumb over her smooth skin so gently, as if he was afraid she'd tore into myriad pieces if he wasn't careful.

" _Goddess_." Zuko beamed at her, his other hand slowly going up to her arm until it reached her face. 

Her mouth hanged open slightly, watching him with curiosity. His amber eyes gazed upon her, burning with affection.

"Not a moment has passed since you left that I haven't spent thinking of you. You're always on my mind. Always..." he leaned in, eyes asking for consent, "in..." she smiled, and his heart skipped a beat, "my..." Kyoko was the one to break the distance, her lips gingerly brushing over his, "heart," he whispered against her lips. 

When they kissed, the world fell silent. She could feel his affection, he could taste her passion. The first kiss they shared was tense, unsure, wild, and fierce, a battle for dominance and a way to let out their anger and frustration.

This, however, was sweet, passionate, tender. It was everything they needed, all they missed since the night they kissed for the first time.

It made their hearts ache, their lips form smiles, their minds succumb to desire. Kyoko's hands were wrapped around his neck, and his were cupping her face. They both decided, right there and then, that that's where and how they belonged. Holding onto one another, kissing each other with all their might.

When they finally pulled away, they were both smiling wide.

"I missed you." She was the first one to break the silence, resting her forehead against his. "So much."

"I missed you." He admitted, caressing her soft skin with his thumbs. "Come back with me. _Stay_."

Kyoko's smile faded, and Zuko sighed as she pulled away from him. "I can't. This is where I belong, Zuko. Helping Aang. Protecting the avatar. It feels right. It _is_ right."

Zuko closed his eyes, his hand reaching for hers. "I can't change your mind, I know. I don't know why you're so keen on helping the avatar, but... I won't make your decisions for you. But I won't fight you either. Not like that. Not with hatred."

"That's ironic," Kyoko chuckled, "considering how we met." 

Zuko picked up his mask as they started walking again, behind Aang, who pretended to be obvious to their open affection. It wasn't his place to question them. To question _her_.

Zuko chuckled at the memory. "You fought terribly."

She rolled her eyes, nudging him gently on the side. "To my defense, I was surrounded. And I was starving like crazy."

He frowned. "I hope you're eating well... traveling and such. I don't want you starving ever again."

Kyoko watched him from the corner of her eye, her mouth forming a grin. "Careful now, Prince Zuko. It sounds like you're fond of me."

"And what if I am?" He asked, squeezing her hand gently. "Is that such a bad thing? To care about another?"

Kyoko smiled, feeling light on her feet. She felt happy in a way she never felt before. As if she could fly.

"It's a wonderful thing, Zuko." 

Zuko's cheeks turned red, and he looked away from her. The way she spoke her name... made him feel strange. _Good_. _Strange_. 

He cleared his throat, eyes widening playfully as he remembered her former self. "So... my lips are soft, huh?"

It was Kyoko's turn to blush. "Oh, shush. I wasn't myself."

"Really?" Zuko teased, leaning into her side. "So you don't like kissing me?" 

She rolled her eyes, grabbing him by his shirt and pulling his face towards her. "I _love_ kissing you." He turned red but had no time to cover his face as her lips found his again, biting into his bottom lip before she pulled away. 

Zuko stared, dumbfounded. Kyoko grinned, biting her lip playfully before she dropped his hand and rushed towards Aang, leaving him behind. 

"I didn't know you and Zuko are that close," Aang stated, though there was no judging tone in his voice. 

"I know it bothers you, I understand." Kyoko sighed, avoiding Aang's eyes. "But you also don't know him the way that I do. He's... not a bad person. I know you hate him, but I doubt you'll judge him so much if you knew his story. The reason why he's trying so hard to capture you." She looked behind her shoulder, watching Zuko put back his mask as they came into a clearing. "He doesn't have a choice, Aang. It's not my story to tell... but please don't hate me for not hating him. For caring about him. He's just a boy. He is lonely, scared, and he is hurting."

"Kyoko," Aang placed his hand on her shoulder, offering the girl a genuine smile, "I'm not judging you. If the air nomads taught me something, it's that everyone is worth love and happiness. And everyone is worth forgiveness. If he will change his mind, if he will stop chasing us and will try to be a better person, I will never turn my back on him." His eyes held an emotion foreign to Kyoko. She felt small under his gentle, hope-filled gaze. "I will never turn my back on you."

Perhaps it was her lack of mental and physical strength at that moment because Kyoko didn't hesitate to throw her arms around Aang, pulling him close. He hugged her back eagerly, a bright smile illuminating his face. Even in the several years to come in which their friendship only grew, Kyoko still couldn't understand how one person could be so warm, so gentle, so kind. But he was Aang, and he was the nicest person Kyoko had ever met.

Well, him and Iroh. Maybe Katara too.

They pulled away and continued to walk towards the ruins Sokka and Katara were resting under. Zuko wanted to make sure Kyoko will make it back safe, with no other attacks and attempts against her.

"I like your hair like this," Zuko said, tracing his hand softly through her dark locks. "You look beautiful."

"You really do." Aang smiled, nodding in agreement.

"Thanks," Kyoko answered. She looked down at the black tunic she wore and shivered. "Although I'd like not to think about the reason it was pampered. Nor do I want to think too much about the clothes and jewels I am wearing." She frowned. "I might start screaming."

Aang gave her a pitiful look, while Zuko placed his arm on her lower back, pulling her close to his side. "I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry too," Aang looked down at his feet, ashamed. "If it wasn't for me..."

Kyoko eyed him from the side, letting out a sigh. "It's not your fault. Neither of you."

Zuko went on before Aang had the chance to. "I know. Yet it still feels like it is. I should have been faster, I should have gotten you from there as early as possible. I shouldn't have let them capture you-"

"Zuko." She cut him off, and he fell silent, his cheeks turning red. "I'm not blaming you. Neither of you. What's done is done... what matters is that we're safe now. Filthy and smelly, but at least we're still whole. Some do not have our luck."

Aang chuckled, feeling more at ease. He might have had a kind, forgiving heart, but it seemed so did Kyoko. No matter how much she told herself otherwise.

"The Fire Nation is so different from how it used to be," Aang spoke, earning Zuko's interest, who was otherwise pretending that Aang wasn't there. It made his promise to Kyoko easier to fulfill. "Everyone seems so... angry. It used to be pleasant before. There were dragons around, people were always dancing, the fire was so much beautiful... and everyone was kind. I really miss those times."

"You still remember them?" Zuko spoke directly to him, for the first time that night. "How it was a hundred years ago?"

"Yes," Aang spoke, his tone melancholic, "I remember everything as if it was yesterday." He let out a sigh, turning towards Zuko with hope in his eyes. Hope to maybe make him understand that they didn't have to fight each other. They didn't have to be enemies. "You know what the worst part of being born over a hundred years ago is? I miss all the friends I used to hang out with. Before the war started, I used to always visit my friend Kuzon. The two of us, we'd get in and out of so much trouble together. He was one of the best friends I ever had, and he was from the Fire Nation, just like you. If we knew each other back then, do you think we could have been friends, too?"

Zuko remained silent for a moment, his head hurting. It seemed surreal that there was a time when air nomads were still around, visiting the Fire Nations as if it were a second home. His great grandfather, the one every member of the Fire Nation worshiped... Firelord Sozin was the one who had led the genocide of the air nomads and the extinction of dragons, old traditions, and peace. Growing up, Zuko worshipped him too. But every since his banishment... the things he heard, the things he'd seen...

But he couldn't think like this. It was treason. And spirits knew too well how much Zuko was trying to behave like the prince he was born to be. Like the Firelord he promised himself to be.

And this Airbender, the avatar... his memories were a century old. What did he know of the glory the Fire Nation possessed? It was never his home, to begin with. Who is he to tell Zuko of how the Fire Nation used to be when he'd never stepped into the present Fire Nation? It was Zuko's home, his heirloom, his ancestry. All that made him who he is.

"No. I would never be your friend. We are enemies. You know nothing of my nation, nothing of my home, nothing of my culture and my heirloom. So stop pretending you do."

"Zuko," Kyoko warned, noticing the sad look on Aang's face. "That's enough."

He simply rolled his eyes, not that they could see through his mask. "Whatever." He muttered, crossing his arms over his chest. 

Truth be told, Zuko wasn't mad that the avatar compared the home Zuko knew to the former Fire Nation. 

No. Zuko was mad because the avatar was _right_ , and that thought alone, even as much as being pondered by the Crown Prince, meant treason in his father's eyes. How would Zuko ever return home and look his father in the eyes, after he admitted that the Fire Nation's glory was nothing but a lie, a way to brainwash people?

No. He couldn't let the avatar get to him. He might have fooled Kyoko, but Zuko? Zuko was the Crown Prince of the Fire Nation, and the avatar was his sworn enemy. The thought of friendship was as much of a crime as treason was. And Zuko wasn't about to lose everything for an arrowheaded air nomad that couldn't seem to comprehend the world wasn't milk and honey like he wanted to believe. 

The world was cruel, poisonous, barbaric. 

Zuko knew that. Kyoko knew that.

And the person who needed to realize that the most, the avatar, was the one who refused to desert his hope and faith in kindness and humanity.

And that alone was strange and unusual, forbidden and foreign to Zuko. The avatar was nothing but a fool. 

They reached the ruins in a short time, although Aang stopped to collect frozen frogs for Katara and Sokka. Kyoko felt sick just by remembering the taste of the filthy frog in her mouth... but at least she wasn't sick anymore.

Her friends were going to be fine now, and they were all safe.

And that also meant that it was time for Zuko to return to his ship.

"Thank you for your help, Zuko." Aang smiled, not expecting a reply as he reached Sokka and Katara, shoving the frogs into their mouths.

Kyoko shifted her weight from one leg to the other as she and Zuko remained alone. He took off his mask, trying to avoid her eyes, but as soon as he caught glimpse of the deep green shade, he couldn't look away.

"You can always come back with me to the ship." He tried, pleading with his eyes.

"You can always join me and the avatar."

They were from worlds apart. And it never stang them as much as it did at that moment.

"Then I suppose this is goodbye. For _now_."

Kyoko sighed, placing her hands on his chest. "I know we'll see each other again. You never fail to get on Aang's tail." 

"I know." He reached for her waist, pulling her close. "The last time we saw each other, I was angry and confused. We kissed, and you said it was a mistake." He leaned into her, deciding there was no place he'd rather be. "Do you still think that?"

"I do," Kyoko spoke, and Zuko froze in her arms. "Perhaps this is a mistake. But I wouldn't have it any other way."

When they first met, Zuko would have cruelly laughed if someone told him he'd grow close to the thief. Even like her romantically. Long after her, lean into her touch, have dreams about... her.

Yet here he was, three and half months later. He liked her. He cared about her. He wanted to keep her close.

"If this is a mistake," his rough voice, Kyoko decided, was the best sound in the world, "then it's the best mistake I've ever made."

When their lips touched, they both flew in the ninth cloud. When they pulled away, the cold of the night made them both shivered. 

Zuko disappeared into the night, his touch still lingering on Kyoko's body. 

Kyoko never felt as happy and as sad as she did at that moment.

Even as she returned to her friends, pretending nothing had happened, his words were the only things she could hear in her mind.

_If this is a mistake, then it's the best mistake I've ever made._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I said before, this story will take turns from canon. There would be major plot changes from the show, for example, Azula, the crossroad of destiny, the eclipse, and Sozin's comet. If you guys want to follow the exact plot as in the show, there are hundreds of fanfics out there where the oc doesn't bring any changes and is there just to be a love interest. I don't want that for my book. I don't want Kyoko to just be a love interest.  
> This is her story, and her story will affect the plot. This is also a mature, aged up characters fanfic, where things won't be kept pg. If you're not comfortable with this, no one is forcing you to read. But there would be changes, such as a redemption arc for Azula and Zuko's character development taking less time to form. Thank you for reading so far and I hope you'll like how this story turns up as much as I do.  
> Remember that the plot changes from Book One will have a big effect on Book Two's finale. Remember this chapter. Remember Zuko's and Aang's interactions.  
> xx


	14. Seek the light (Part One)

<https://open.spotify.com/track/0JFKKrHDFFRoGv033NbL93?si=15040b56fb77415d>

_'Seek the light, it's shining bright_   
_Take pride! Deep in your mind_   
_Leading through the darkest night_   
_You will find in the end'_

"I think those suit you pretty well." Katara complimented, tying the blue robes in the middle. "You look beautiful."

Kyoko stared down at the blue clothes she wore, identical to Sokka's and Katara's. Blue wasn't really her color, but everything was better than the clothes she had on after escaping the fortress. As soon as Sokka and Katara were feeling better they took off as far away from the forest as possible and didn't stop until in the afternoon. As soon as her feet touched the ground again, Kyoko rushed to the nearest river and washed, trying to get rid of the smell and images in her head of the man she loathed.

Katara was eager to give the earthbender her best robes, and although Kyoko didn't really feel like herself wearing Water Tribe clothes, Katara couldn't help blushing at the sight.

"Thank you, Katara." Kyoko smiled at her friend, tracing her fingers through her now tangled hair. 

"I can help you with that." Katara offered, and before Kyoko could answer, she was already combing Kyoko's wavy long hair. Kyoko hummed as Katara touched her hair gently, and as she closed her eyes she already felt better. After the incident and reunion with Zhao, she found herself missing Zuko more and more with each passing second. 

She could still feel his lips on hers.

"You got pretty hair," Katara whispered, her hand gently brushing over Kyoko's cheeks. Kyoko opened her eyes at the gentle touch, and Katara turned red. Both pretended nothing happened, turning towards Sokka as soon as Katar was done with Kyoko's hair. 

Sokka was struggling to fish, noticing his fishing pole was missing its line. " Hey, where's the fishing line?" He asked in irritation, turning towards the three with arched eyebrows. His eyes widened for a second as he noticed Kyoko dressed in Water Tribe clothes. He blushed, _hard_ , but Kyoko didn't notice it. He let out a quiet relieved sigh. 

"Oh, I didn't think you would need it, Sokka," Aang said sheepishly, holding up an intricately woven necklace decorated with a red flower. 

Kyoko chuckled as Sokka walked over and examined the necklace. "Aw, it's all tangled!"

"Yeah, no shit." She giggled, and if Sokka didn't like her so much he would have given her a harsh comeback. Or so he liked to think.

Obvious, Aang rose to his feet, a smile on his face. "Not tangled. Woven! I made you a necklace, Katara. I thought since you lost your other one..." He paused in mid-sentence and displayed the necklace, holding it between his hands as he flashed a toothy grin. 

Katara smiled, approaching the boy. "Thanks, Aang," she said, taking the necklace. "I love it."

Sokka slapped his forehead, letting out a groan. "Great, Aang. Maybe instead of saving the world, you can go into the jewelry-making business."

Aang seemed obvious to the insult. "I don't see why I can't do both."

"Yeah, Sokka," Kyoko grinned, "why can't he do both? You're just jealous he is talented, unlike you." Katara chuckled as Kyoko clasped the necklace around her neck, while Sokka stared at the earthbender with a pretend look of betrayal. "You can't even fish, let alone make lovely jewelry for lovely people." She winked at Katara, who giggled and tried to hide a blush.

"Is this Sokka slander day?" Sokka said, kicking at the water, struggling to catch the fish. "You're underestimating me!" He scoffed. "I am more than capable at fishing and making jewelry."

"Is that so?" Kyoko taunted, her playful eyes making Sokka choke on air. "I don't believe it. I guess you'll have to prove me wrong."

"Oh, I will!" 

Kyoko smirked, and Katara continued to giggle, stepping aside.

"So, how do I look?"

Kyoko eyed her front and smiled. Katara was definitely one of the prettiest girls she had ever seen. It reminded her so much of Min it was almost painful. 

Aang seemed to grow red at the sight, choking on air. "You mean, all of you or just your neck?" He put his right hand behind his head in embarrassment. "I mean because both look great!"

Katara smiled in appreciation, but her brother seemed to find Aang's embarrassment amusing. "Smoochie, smoochie, someone's in love!" Sokka teased, making kissing noises before the fish broke free from his grasp, slapping Sokka in the face with its tail and disappearing under the water. Kyoko was choking with laughter, the sounds being so lovely to Sokka that he would've laughed too if he wasn't so embarrassed. 

Aang was red in the face now. "Well... I... uh..."

Katara rolled her eyes, annoyed. "Stop teasing him, Sokka. Aang's just a good friend." She patted the side of his head. "A sweet, little guy! Just like Momo." She pet Momo, who landed on Aang's shoulder.

Aang looked away, dismayed. "Thanks..."

"Ouch." Kyoko cringed at the secondhand embarrassment she felt for Aang. Katara turned to Kyoko, her demeanor completely different than towards Aang. 

"What do you think...?" Katara asked, avoiding Kyoko's gaze. 

"You look as beautiful as always," Kyoko spoke, her voice not skipping a beat. Katara turned red like the flower of her necklace, and the boys shared mixed looks of jealousy.

Sokka emerged empty-handed from the lake, soaking wet and cross. Momo suddenly flew off Aang's shoulder upon hearing a loud noise in the distance. He leaped onto a rock followed by Aang, who observed the scene along with Kyoko and Katara. He pointed to the source of the commotion, urgently.

"Someone's being attacked by a platypus bear!"

A large, ferocious creature having dark brown fur with the body and head of a bear, the tail and bill of a platypus and bearing a white "V" across its chest stood upright on its hind legs and swung at a man clad in blue, who smiled merrily, his hands behind his back. The man managed to avoid the bear's swing by calmly stepping backward. The creature continued its attacks as Aang leaped onto a rock directly behind it. The calm man continued to smile as though nothing was occurring.

"Well, hello there!" He dodged another swift swing of the bear's claws. "Nice day, isn't it?"

The four shared horrified looks. "Make noise! He'll run off!" Aang yelled.

"No, play dead! He'll lose interest!"

The bear swung its claws only to miss striking the man once again.

"Whoa, close one!" the man laughed bemusedly.

Katara cupped a hand to her mouth and made gestures with her other hand. "Run downhill, then climb a tree!"

"No, punch him in the bill!" Sokka yelled, swinging a fist upward.

"And then run in zig-zags!" Aang tried to reason with the idiotic man.

"No need, it's going to be fine!" 

Kyoko facepalmed at the foolish man. "No it won't-" she groaned loud enough to startle the bear. She took out a fan and slammed her right foot on the ground, a fist of earth rising from the ground and punching the platypus bear high in the air. It touched the ground after a short moment, the earth shaking slightly under its weight. It let out a welp and laid an egg out of fear before it ran in the opposite direction. 

Sokka ran happily and picked up the egg, joyfully. "Mmm, lunch!" He sniffed it. "Lucky for you, we came along."

"Yeah," Aang smiled at Kyoko, "great thinking Kyoko!"

The man didn't seem to share the same opinion as Aang and Sokka, however. "Thanks, but everything was already under control. Not to worry. Aunt Wu predicted I'd have a safe journey." He folded his hands together and bowed slightly.

"Aunt who?"

"No, Aunt Wu. She's the fortuneteller from my village. Awful nice knowing your future."

Katara looked off to the side as she pondered this. "Wow, it must be." She faced the man with a bright expression on her face. "That explains why you were so calm!"

Sokka cringed, sharing a judging look with Kyoko. "But the fortuneteller was wrong! You didn't have a safe journey; you were almost killed!"

The man was as cheerful as ever. "But I wasn't! All right, have a good one!" He bid them a farewell and began to walk away only to turn back again. "Oh, and Aunt Wu said if I met any travelers to give them this."

He handed Aang a wrapped parcel seemingly containing a long, thin object and leaves mysteriously. Sokka and Kyoko eyed the man suspiciously.

Katara seemed to be excited, however. "Maybe we should go see Aunt Wu and learn our fortunes. It could be fun."

"Oh, come on. Fortune telling is nonsense!" Sokka rolled his eyes.

Kyoko crossed her arms over her chest, staring at the retreating man's figure. "Exactly! I remember we used to have a fortuneteller woman in our gang. She passed a few years before I left. Ever since I became an earthbender and was blessed by Avatar Kyoshi, she used to say nonsense things about my so-called destiny."

Aang and Katara, who were familiar with the story Kyoko shared with Sokka a week before, looked at her, intrigued. "What did she say?"

Kyoko felt a shiver ran down her spine at the memories. "Just... nonsense stuff. That I'll suffer a lot in my teenager days, that I'll be a master earthbender and I will take it further than ever before and that there was..." _Darkness inside of me_ , "just... some turmoils in me. Nothing that made sense or wasn't easy to guess."

"See?" Sokka placed his arm around Kyoko's shoulders, sticking his tongue out at the two. "Fortunetelling is just nonsense bullshit."

Katara rolled her eyes, while Aang simply opened the package. "What do you know? An umbrella!" He grinned, showing them the red umbrella.

At that moment, the sky darkened and it began to rain. A low rumble of thunder was heard. Katara bended an arched shield of water over her head to shelter herself from the weather. She glanced at Kyoko and did the same for her, but left Sokka to get soaked.

"That proves it!" She ducked under the umbrella. 

Holding the egg above his head and trying to get his head under Kyoko's bended arched shield of water made by Katara to shield himself from the rain, Sokka let out a whine. "No, it doesn't! You can't _really_ tell the future!"

Katara gave him a smug look. "I guess you're not _really_ getting wet then."

Sokka suddenly lost his grip on the platypus egg as it flew through the air. He attempted to catch it as Kyoko quickly ducked out of the way, however, it merely flew a few feet into the air and landed on his head, cracking and causing the egg to run down his face. Kyoko walked by Aang and Katara, sheltered under the umbrella, while Sokka stayed away from them, drenched by the downpour.

"Of course she predicted it was going to rain. The sky's been gray all day!" He scoffed.

"I don't know Sokka," Kyoko frowned, looking at the pouring rain, "I mean, we can bend the nature. Is fortunetelling _really_ that impossible compared to _this_?" She emphasized her point by bending a small rock up, crumbling it into dust. 

Sokka scoffed, muttering _traitor_ under his breath.

Katara tangled her arm with Kyoko's, smirking at Sokka. "Just admit you might be wrong, and you can come under the umbrella."

"Look, I'm going to predict the future now." Sokka stopped walking and hopped from foot to foot in an exaggerated way. "It's going to keep drizzling." The rain continued to fall. "See?"

Suddenly, the rain stopped falling and the sky lightens up slightly. Aang was tilting the umbrella back to observe the dramatic change in weather. "Not everyone has the gift, Sokka."

Appa plodded behind, pausing briefly to shake his wet fur out, soaking Sokka in the process and causing him to flinch.

"Agh!" He yelled in disgust and annoyance. 

When they finally made it to the top of the mountains, they were greeted by a strange man dressed in black, standing at the gate of the small village. 

"Aunt Wu is expecting you."

Katara clapped her hands in excitement. "Really?"

The four of them walked through the doorway, Sokka and Kyoko expressing their disgust. They entered a room, three pillows situated on the floor to the right of the room. The strange man closed the door as a young girl walked into the room clad in a pink robe and wearing her hair in braids that stack out from the sides of her head.

"My name is Meng and I'm Aunt Wu's assistant." She said in a sweet voice, smiling at the four of them. Her eyes suddenly widened as she caught sight of Aang. "Well, hello there." 

Aang rubbed his nose, showing no sign of interest. "Hello."

Kyoko watched the scene, amused, and let out a puff of air at Aang's obviousness. 

"Can I get you some tea or some of Aunt Wu's special bean curd puffs?" The girl, Meng, went on, obviously addressing Aang.

It was Sokka who brightened up, though. "I'll try a curd puff." 

The girl held up her index finger in gesture. "Just a second," she said, turning to Aang. "So what's your name?"

"Aang." The boy responded, flatly.

The girl smiled, delighted. "That rhymes with Meng! And you've got some pretty big ears, don't you?"

Aang widened his eyes, blushing. "I guess...?"

Sokka and Kyoko shared a bemused look, eyeing Meng and Aang with shit-eating grins.

Sokka waved his hand in dismissal and joked. "Don't be modest!"

"Yeah," Kyoko spread her arms outward in emphasis. "They're huge!"

Aang covered his ears in embarrassment, blushing as red as tomatoes, while the two high-fived behind their backs.

Meng smiled slyly. " Well, Aang, it was very nice to meet you. Very nice." She turned and left.

"Likewise." Aang shrugged.

Sokka groaned, turning towards Kyoko with an exasperated look. "I can't believe we're here in the house of nonsense."

Kyoko sighed, letting him rest his head on her shoulder. "Just let them get this over with."

Katara rolled her eyes at the two, ever the enthusiast. "Try to keep an open mind, you two. There are things in this world that just can't be explained. Wouldn't it be nice to have some insight into your future?"

"It would be nice to have some bean curd puffs," Sokka replied, nonchalantly.

Kyoko let out a piggy snort. "Or some rum!"

Sokka looked up from her shoulder, meeting her eyes bemused. "Hey, never had that before. How does that taste?"

Kyoko grinned, to which Sokka couldn't help but grin too. "It tastes like shit, but after a few sips you're gonna be too dizzy to care."

"Ooh," Sokka brightened, "I want some!"

"We better find it soon then." She closed her eyes, taking in the sweet aroma of the candles around.

Soon, Meng returned, approaching the room through a nearby hallway with a tray of bean curd puffs. A door in the hallway opened and a woman clad in green exited, approaching Meng excitedly.

"Oh, Meng! Aunt Wu says I'm going to meet my true love. He's going to give me a rare panda lily."

"That's so romantic!" Meng spoke dreamily, looking towards Aang flirtatiously, "I wonder if my true love will give me a rare flower."

"Good luck with that!" Aang replied, breezily. Kyoko facepalmed, earning a snort from Sokka.

The woman laughed, turning to Meng. "Is that the big-eared guy who Aunt Wu predicted you'd marry?"

Embarrassed by this statement, Meng pushed the woman aside and continued on her way to the other room. She approached the team, her eyes fixated hopefully on Aang, who stared off into space, unaware of her presence. She suddenly tripped and Aang attempted to help her recover, accidentally holding her hands in his in the process. The two stared at each other for a moment; Meng blushed.

"Enjoy your snack!" Meng said nervously, leaving in a hurry.

Sokka took the tray of curd puffs from Aang and placed it on Kyoko's lap; the two prepared to sample one only to be interrupted by an elderly woman, clad in a yellow robe, who entered the room.

"Welcome, young travelers. Now, who's next? Don't be shy."

Sokka and Kyoko shared an uninterested look, deciding to eat instead.

Katara rose, in anticipation. "I guess that's me."

Aang sat back down, a curious look on his face. If Kyoko or Sokka noticed, they were too hungry to care. 

"Mm, not bad, not bad!" Sokka held out the bowl to Aang. "Mhm?"

Aang refused the bowl. "I'm good on puffs." Sokka shrugged and placed the bowl back on Kyoko's lap, as the two continued eating the puffs. Aang turned to them, trying to act casual. "So, what do you think they're talking about back there?"

Sokka replied casually, holding up a puff. "Boring stuff I'm sure. Love, who she's going to marry, how many babies she's going to have."

Aang blushed, trying to act cool. "Yeah, dumb stuff like that..." he tensed a bit and bit his fingers nervously. "Well, I've got to find a bathroom."

He ran off, leaving Sokka to stare dumbfounded after him. "Uh...?"

He turned around, to find Kyoko already looking at him, one eyebrow arched. "Dumb stuff?"

"Oh well," he said awkwardly, stretching his arms, "you know, is not like these predictions actually work or something. They're useless."

Kyoko rolled her eyes. "Yeah, but can't you tell why he is curious?"

Sokka made a thoughtful face before he shrugged, confused. "Because he is next?"

The girl facepalmed, clearly not satisfied by his answer. "Weren't you supposed to be 'the ladies' man'?" She snorted. "You certainly don't strike me as one."

Sokka gasped, his jaw hitting the floor. "I _am_ 'the ladies' man'!" He defended himself, giving her an offended look. "I'm an expert when it comes to ladies!"

Kyoko snorted, giving the water tribe boy a challenging look. "Oh yeah? Prove it."

Sokka remained silent for a second, making sure he heard her well. Kyoko was obvious to the way he eyed her lips for a second, but she did notice the blush that took over his face right after. 

"I... w-what... how-"

"Give me the best pickup line you have, Sokka the ladies' man," Kyoko smirked, enjoying his flustered look. 

Sokka considered it for a moment before he took a deep breath. Did she want a good pickup line? He'd give her his very best. Besides, this was Kyoko. He was way more comfortable around her than he probably should've. 

"Fine," he grinned, leaning in close enough until they were face to face, and she could feel his body warmth. "I may not be an element bender, but you better bet I'm a master backbender."

It took Kyoko a moment to comprehend his words and a longer one to stop laughing.

"That was terrible and you know it." She laughed, giving him the piggy snort he'd never stop finding both adorable and amusing. 

"What was terrible?" Aang asked, coming back into the room and grinning at how close they were standing.

Both stopped laughing, clearing their throats.

"I'll tell you when you grow up." Kyoko grinned, and Sokka snorted loudly, making poor Aang more confused than before.

"Looks like someone had a pretty good bathroom break," Sokka smirked, changing the subject.

Aang seemed to be floating with happiness. In another context, Kyoko would be happy for him, but definitely not in... this.

"Yeah ... when I was in there."

Sokka made a disgusted face, holding up his hand to stop the avatar from oversharing. "I don't even want to know!"

At that moment, Aunt Wu and Katara entered the room, Katara giving Kyoko a huge smile. 

"Who's next?" Aunt Wu asked, and Sokka stood up, stretching his arms.

"Okay, let's get this over with."

"Your future is full of struggle and anguish. Most of it, self-inflicted." The woman said, dryly, offending poor Sokka.

"But you didn't read my palms or anything!"

"I don't need to. It's written all over your face." Sokka resumed picking his teeth in disgust as the woman turned to Aang. "You there, come with me."

As Aang left the room with the woman, Sokka turned to Kyoko with a look that could only be read as 'do you see this shit, Kyoko?' to which the girl only shrugged, careless.

"What did she tell you then?" The boy asked his sister, resuming eating the puffs, not bothering to even offer any to Katara. 

"Nothing much." She said, but the smile on her face suggested otherwise. "Just that I'll live a peaceful life, and have grandchildren. And that I will marry a powerful bender."

"Well..." Sokka clenched his jaw, "that's a lot more than she told me. It's just a bunch of crap that's all it this."

"You're just sour because deep down you did want to hear your future." Katara scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "At least I am going to leave a peaceful, lovely life. Too and you can't say the same about yours."

Sokka shared the previous look with Kyoko once again, but before he had the chance to respond sourly, Aang came back, smiley. 

"She's waiting for you Kyo."

"Ugh," Kyoko said, handing Sokka the bowl from her lap and standing up, stretching her arms. "I guess if she's already waiting..."

"Good luck!" Both Katara and Aang smiled, while Sokka scoffed at them.

"Remember, it's just a bunch of crap!" He called after her as she walked into the woman's chamber. "Don't take it seriously!"

Kyoko replied with a roll of her eyes and a slam of the door.

"Alright." She sighed, sitting on the pillow facing the fortuneteller. "Let's get this over with."

The woman nodded, staring at her with a look that made Kyoko's insides turn. 

"You're familiar with fortunetelling." The woman spoke, gesturing for Kyoko's hand, and the girl rose her hand hesitantly. "And it left you disappointed, confused, concerned." 

"That obvious, huh?" Kyoko joked, but the woman didn't even flinch.

"She told you there is darkness inside of you." She spoke, her tone sending a chill down the girl's spine, and her gaze left Kyoko with a sour taste. "I disagree." Her nails dug inside Kyoko's hand, and the girl hissed, but Aunt Wu gave no sign of removing her hand. "There is _chaos_ inside of you. Pure, untamed chaos. And you'll suffer greatly once it settles inside of your heart."

Kyoko frowned, widening her eyes in concern and shock at the woman's words. It made her feel sick in the stomach, and her vision was turning blurrier with each second passing. 

"You think you know pain, but the pain you're yet to endure will destroy you and leave you a ruin until you learn to let go."

"What?" Kyoko tried to yell, but her voice came out like a squeal. If she wasn't overwhelmed by Wu's words, she would have cringed in embarrassment.

"But you also have warmth in your soul. Light... blessings... the touch of something greater than a mere being." She widened her eyes. "The touch of your great grandmother. The blessing of Avatar Kyoshi."

"Y-yes..." Kyoko whispered, confirming it. "She blessed me with earthbending to save my life."

But Aunt Wu only shook her head, frowning. "You do not understand, child. It's greater than any of us. You have Raava's blessing, not Kyoshi's."

Kyoko stared at the woman as if she grew two heads. "Excuse me?"

"Raava, the mother spirit. The spirit of light. The spirit is the source of all the avatars' powers. Without Raava there is no avatar, no balance, no light. Only darkness, chaos."

Kyoko shook her head in confusion. "But... you said there _is_ chaos inside me."

"Indeed. Both chaos and light have a home in you. You are the only one keeping them in balance. But the darkness, the chaos... it's easy to take over at any uneven emotion that fuels it. Anger, rage, _fear_. And you'll taste all the destruction upon your skin, my child. When the time comes, follow your heart. Seek goodness. Seek your own destiny. _Seek the light_."

The flames of the candles rose with each sentence the woman voiced until they almost reached the ceiling. Kyoko stared wide-eyed at that, her heart beating so hard she could feel drums in her ears. 

She stood up, running away from the room as fast as her legs could carry her.

 _Seek the light_ , she heard with each step she took, reaching her, grabbing at her own self, _seek the light, seek the light, seek the light._

_'Seek goodness, seek your own destiny, seek the light.'_


	15. Seek the light (Part Two)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kyoko learns something shocking about her powers, which is going to change her life forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Should I also publish this story on Wattpad too? I've been conflicted about it.

<https://open.spotify.com/track/02ZorlDGq0uTnMobHNh4EL?si=4b5bb6602973425d>

_'It's in your blood stream  
A collision of atoms that happens before your eyes  
It's a marathon run or a mountain you scale without thinking of size  
I was frightened of every little thing  
That I thought was out to get me down  
To trip me up and laugh at me'_

* * *

"What's got you all worked up like that?" Sokka chuckled, although there was worry in his eyes. He wrapped his right arm around Kyoko's shoulders, who confessed to him many weeks before that she was comfortable enough with him for them to be this touchy. Normally she'd rip the person's arm off if it came in close contact with her like this. "What'd she tell you?"

They walked down the crowded street, Aang and Katara chatting about whatever while Sokka and Kyoko followed behind, Momo sitting on the girl's head. 

"Something... concerning. She's just as bad as that old hag in my mother's gang!" Kyoko spat, shoving her arms in the water tribe robe's pockets. 

"Oh?" Sokka arched an eyebrow, stopping to buy two roasted chicken legs from a street food stand. "What did she say?" He asked, handing Kyoko one of the legs. She took it and bit it hungrily, despite having eaten puffs just a few minutes before. Sokka chuckled. If there was something they had in common, it was their huge appetite. 

"Something along 'there is darkness inside of you blah blah blah you have to choose the light blah blah blah'. Nothing I haven't heard before, really."

"Well then, why are freaking out about it so much?"

"I am not!"

"It's all over your face." Sokka shrugged, watching her closely. "You're easy to read."

" _Bullshit_."

"Hey, no need to get all defensive." Sokka shrugged again, taking a huge bite and talking with a mouthful. "Her predictions are bullshit, we both know that." He pointed towards Aang and Katara with the chicken leg and frowned. "No matter how much they try to tell us otherwise. Fortune telling is just a big, stupid hoax."

Katara turned around, finally paying attention to their conversation. She scoffed, rolling her eyes at her older brother. "You're just saying that because you're going to make yourself unhappy your whole life."

Sokka's cheeks turned red, his voice rising in anger. "That woman is crazy! My life will calm and happy and joyful!" He roughly kicked a nearby stone, which soared into the air and ended up ricocheting off a hanging metal sign and striking Sokka, who had been standing breezily with his arms crossed. He covered his head in pain and fell to the ground. After a moment, he rose a finger in protest, his tone agitated. "That doesn't prove _anything_!"

Katara and Kyoko shared an amused look, and the waterbender gave her brother a smug look of satisfaction. "Well, I liked my predictions" She clasped her hands together anxiously. "Certain things are going to turn out very well."

Aang crossed his arms, leaning in toward her. "They sure are..." He grinned, making Kyoko give him a confused look as she helped Sokka up.

"Why? What did she tell you?" Katara asked.

Aang ambiguously replied, "Some stuff. You'll find out."

Katara frowned before she shrugged. "Sure." She eyed Kyoko from the corner of her eye, eyes brightening. "What'd she tell you?"

Kyoko took in a sharp breath, and Katara instantly regretted asking upon seeing the conflicted look on the earthbender's face. 

"Just some stuff about how there are light and darkness inside of me. She told me I am blessed by the spirit living inside Aang, as creepy as that sounds. Raava, I think? And that I have to choose my actions carefully."

The three shared a look before her, and Aang took a step closer to her, intrigued. "Raava? The monks told me about the spirit giving the avatar powers - but I never heard of her blessing other people..."

"Perhaps she did it because of Kyoshi?" Sokka suggested, to which Aang and Kyoko shared a look.

"Whatever the reason and its meaning," Kyoko sighed, throwing the bone of the chicken leg in a trash can, "I'll try not to think too much about it. Nothing turns right when you overthink it too much."

Aang nodded, although he kept the conflicted look on his face. Whatever it was he thought, he kept it to himself. Perhaps it was for her own good that he chose to do so, anyway.

They approached a group of villagers, who were intently staring at the sky. This only added to Kyoko's annoyance.

"What's with the sky?" Katara asked, looking at the clouds.

The man who encountered the platypus bear before turned towards them, with the same calm look on his face that made Kyoko's blood boil. "We are waiting for Aunt Wu to come and read the clouds to predict the fate of the whole village."

Aang pointed at one of the clouds, with a smile. "That cloud kind of looks like a fluffy bunny."

The man's calm expression seemed to twitch. "You better hope that's not a bunny! The fluffy bunny cloud forecasts doom and destruction."

Sokka and Kyoko shared a mutual look of disgust at the man, and the water tribe boy made sure the man knew his opinion. "Do you even hear yourself? That's madness!"

Another villager popped in, gesturing to the mountain behind them. "The cloud reading will tell us if Mt. Makapu will remain dormant for another year or if it will erupt."

The calm man smiled. "We used to have a tradition once a year of going up the mountain to check the volcano ourselves. But ever since Aunt Wu moved to the village twenty years ago, we have a tradition of not doing that."

Sokka's eyes almost bulged out of his head. "I can't believe you would trust your lives to that crazy, old woman's superstition!"

Katara sighed, placing her hand on his shoulder scoldingly. "Shhh! She's coming!"

Aunt Wu and her guard were ascending a stairwell and the crowd formed an aisle to allow for the two figures to pass by. Aang and Katara stood next to each other, smiling widely as Aunt Wu and the guard walked by them, while Kyoko and Sokka shared a mutual look of repulsion. The crowd clapped for the fortune-teller, but Kyoko paid more attention to Meng, as she approached Aang. 

"Hey, Aang." She smiled, pointing upward. "Don't you think that cloud looks like a flower?"

Aang shifted awkwardly on his feet. "Huh? Sure, I guess." He pushed Meng away, turning quickly to Katara. "Hey, Katara, don't you think that cloud looks like a flower?"

"Shh!" Katara shushed him in annoyance. Kyoko almost fell bad for him.

Aang showed clear disappointment at being hushed but paid attention as Aunt Wu approached. She spread her arms outward dramatically before she opened a cloud reading book in her hand.

"Bending arrow cloud ... good crops this year. Nice big harvest."

A farmer hugged an elderly woman happily. "Darn good news!"

Wu went on. "Wavy, moon-shaped cloud ... let's see." She smiled. "Gonna be a great year for twins!"

A pair of twins near the team high fived happily. "Yes!"

"And a cumulus cloud with a twisted nob coming off the end of it..." she spread arms outward again, "The village will not be destroyed by the volcano this year!"

The crowd cheered ecstatically.

Kyoko turned as she saw Aang try and fail to confess something about Katara, but before she could interpret his words, Sokka was already pulling her after him, away from the crowd. 

"I can't believe this!" He grunted, red in the face with annoyance. "A bunch of brainless numskulls, that's what they are!"

Kyoko chuckled at his attitude, which only made him grow redder in the face. "This really got you all worked up, huh?"

Sokka huffed, eyeing Aang who quickly caught up with the two -and Momo still nesting in Kyoko's thick hair- while Katara went away with Aunt Wu, no doubt eager for another prediction. "I can't believe all these saps! Someone really needs to scream some sense into them."

Aang shrugged, not understand why Sokka was so angry. "They seem happy, Sokka."

"Not for long. I'm going to prove Aunt Wu's predictions are nonsense." He pulled over a man standing nearby, not paying any mind to Kyoko and Aang who sighed exasperatedly at him. "Hey you, I bet Aunt Wu told you to wear those red shoes, didn't she?"

"Yeah. She said I'd be wearing red shoes when I met my true love."

"Uh-huh... And how many times have you worn those shoes since you got that fortune?"

The man smiled sheepishly. "Everyday."

If Sokka was angry before, now he sure seemed like a bomb ready to explode. "Then of course it's gonna come true!"

"Really? You think so?" The man began walking away. "I'm so excited!"

Kyoko pulled Sokka before he had to chance to leap at the man in his act of anger, digging her sharp nails into his shoulder blades until he groaned in pain. 

"Calm down. What do you think you're gonna achieve at this rate?" She let him go, ignoring his hisses of discomfort as he rubbed his shoulders, and let out a sigh. "They're too stupid to be reasoned with."

The next half hour consisted of Sokka asking around and only getting angrier. Kyoko quickly grew bored, so she decided to venture into the market on her own instead, occasionally stealing some nuts to feed herself and Momo, who patted her head in appreciation. 

Aang saw her in the distance and remembered her relations with Zuko all of the sudden. He turned to Sokka, trying to hide his anxiety. "So, Sokka, you know some stuff about ladies, right?"

Sokka, who was gazing at Kyoko from afar, quickly widened his eyes. He hid his blush, struggling to pull his gaze from the earthbender. "Some stuff?" He placed an arm around Aang's shoulders, with newfound confidence. "You've come to the right place. What can I do you for?"

"Well, there's this girl..."

Sokka glanced at Meng who stopped to chat with Kyoko, laughing at a joke the earthbender told. He grinned. "I think I know who you mean."

Aang widened his eyes in surprise. "You do? And you're okay with it?"

"Of course I am. And to tell you the truth, I've been picking up a subtle vibe that she likes you, too."

Aang grew anxious, unaware of Meng who was trying to catch Aang's attention over Kyoko's shoulder. "She does?"

Sokka, being 'the ladies' man' only grinned wider. "Oh yeah, she's crazy about you. All you have to do now is not mess it up."

"Well, how do I do that?"

Sokka eyed Kyoko with a thoughtful look, watching her sneak some chocolate bars under her new blue robes, without Meng even noticing it. They were friendly, but she was the same with Katara and Aang... although she _did_ seem more friendly with Sokka... and maybe Katara too. Maybe that's why she didn't seem to feel the same? What did his friends use to tell him back home...? Try not to be nice. Girls liked bad boys. Kyoko _definitely_ was the type to like them, Sokka thought, remembering Jet way too clearly. "The number once mistake nice guys like you make: being too nice."

If Aang wanted an answer, this was clearly not the one he expected. "You can be too nice?"

Sokka nodded confidently. "Yep. If you want to keep her interested, you have to act aloof, like you don't really care one way or the other."

"Well... okay..." Aang wasn't so sure if he should follow Sokka's advice. Perhaps he should ask someone else... with more experience. His gaze fell on Kyoko again, who was approaching them along with that Meng girl. Yes, Kyoko was the perfect person to ask.

Meng approached Aang shily, only gaining confidence when Kyoko nodded encouragingly at her. "Hey, Aang, I was wondering..."

"See you later..." He turned away casually and waved his hand breezily.

Meng sighed, muttering a bye to Kyoko and running away, disappointed. 

Sokka made an impressed face at Aang. "Wow, you're good at this, kid."

Kyoko turned towards Sokka questioningly, her braid swinging around her back as she moved. "Good at what?"

Sokka decided to try his luck by following his own advice. "Nothing that concerns you, _girl._ " He yawned, dismissing her with his hand. He came to regret it as soon as he spotted the look on Kyoko's face.

" _Pardon_?"

At that moment Sokka felt like an earthbender, digging himself a hole right under his feet. "Nothing... Kyoko."

She frowned her eyebrows, making Sokka gulp and take several feet back, sweating nervously at her angry face.

"Sokka is just trying to follow his own advice!" Aang quickly intervened, and Sokka never felt more grateful. "He was just telling me about how to gain a girl's attention."

" _How_?" Kyoko gritted her teeth, placing her hands on her waist, her muscles tightening under the blue material and becoming even more visible, adding to Sokka's blush. "By acting like an asshole?"

"No...?" Sokka tried, but immediately stop talking when he was met with a blood-freezing glare. 

"Well... no... I don't know." Aang blushed in embarrassment. "How am I supposed to do it?"

Kyoko's harsh glare softened, letting out a sigh. She placed her hand on the fifteen years old's shoulders and smiled. "By being yourself. Let her know that you care, that you are willing to be her friend first, no matter what. Be a shoulder for her to cry on, be her best friend and the person she could always trust, with anything. Be a gentleman... buy her flowers, comfort her when she's sad, pay attention when she's talking, especially if no one else does. Don't insult her, don't offend her... don't be mean and rude. You won't be gaining her affection that way... you'll just make her hate you. No one likes someone who acts as if they don't exist."

Aang and Sokka both listened intently, nodding happily. It made sense, of course. Aang smiled brightly, hugging her shortly. 

"Thank you, Kyoko!" He said, honestly. "I'll always try to be my best self around her!" 

"Great!" She encouraged, watching him run off eagerly, leaving her and Sokka alone. The boy squirmed awkwardly on his feet. 

"Sorry." He tried but decided quickly that it wasn't enough. "I did not mean to sound so rude. I just... wanted to seem interesting?" He frowned, looking down at his feet in an attempt to avoid her eyes.

Kyoko sighed deeply, placing her hand on his shoulder. "You are interesting, Sokka. Like I said before... if you want to gain someone's affection, be nice to them. Don't be an asshole." He nodded, hesitantly meeting her eyes. She gave him a small smile. "Why were you trying it anyway?" Kyoko smirked, teasingly. "Trying to practice for when you meet Suki again?"

Sokka blushed, hard. The first week since Kyoko joined them, he pointed out her fans being exactly like the Kyoshi Warriors' ones. When she explained her encounter with the Kyoshi Warriors' leader, the other three were eager to tell her about the girl they befriended. Suki. And Katara was quick to let Kyoko know about the crush Sokka had on the warrior, too.

"N-no!" He defended, crossing his arms. "I was just..." _trying to get you to **notice** me_, "fooling around? I tried to demonstrate to Aang."

"Hmm." Kyoko hummed in response, and Sokka couldn't help but notice that she sounded both disappointed and... _relieved_?

Nah, he was kidding himself. Kyoko only saw her as a friend.

Sokka only saw her as a friend too, of course. A very close friend. A friend he always made sure to check on, to make sure she wasn't hungry or thirsty or tired, that always got enough sleep, that was always having a good time, and that she was happy and had a good time, especially around him. That's what best friends do. Yes, he did check her out often and blushed way too often around the girl, and imagined how it would feel to hold her hand, and maybe even kiss her- but who could blame him? She was the only girl his age in the group. He had no problem dating a guy, of course, but Aang was definitely not his type. Kyoko, on the other hand...

Of course, he still liked Suki. But how much would pass until he'll see her again? _If_ he'll see her again.

He sighed as he saw Kyoko wave at him as she ventured the opposite way with Momo, eager to taste the desserts from the bakery across the streets. 

Sokka was a hopeless romantic, and that was a huge disadvantage, especially when feelings were one-sided.

* * *

"It's so clear he doesn't like me," Meng whined, kicking at a stone. "He's all into that friend of yours. Or sister, since you are from the Water Tribe..."

"Not sisters." Kyoko chuckled, eating a chocolate bar she sneaked from a store nearby. "I'm not from the Water Tribe. I'm actually an earthbender."

Meng widened her eyes before her mouth formed an excited grin. "Really? That's my favorite type of bending!" Her face fell a little as she considered. "Perhaps because I am from the Earth Kingdom... but still."

"Don't worry about it." Kyoko laughed, patting the girl's shoulder. "It's my favorite type of bending as well. Between you and me," she leaned in closer, whispering directly into the little girl's ear, "it's way more useful than the others. You can create beds, houses, chairs, tents... what can you do with fire, for example, other than warm yourself or cook your meal? Bend a fire bed to sleep on and burn yourself?"

She tickled the girl in the side gently, and Meng giggled, shoving her away. "You're really fun to be around, Kyoko." She straightened her robe and grinned. "So... you and that Sokka boy, huh?"

It was Kyoko's turn to blush. "What?"

"Oh come on," Meng laughed, nudging the earthbender in the side, "you're always so close to each other. And he gives you those lovesick grins, and he always tries to make you laugh, or buys you food..."

"We're friends." Kyoko cut the girl off quickly.

"But he didn't even show his sister as much affection as he shows you..." Meng arched an eyebrow mischievously. 

"Sokka and I? That's just silly." Was it really? She wasn't blind... there was definitely something going on with _both_ the water tribe siblings. Surely, she was into Zuko, but... she couldn't deny how her relations with Sokka and Katara seemed _too_ close to just brush them off as 'friendships'. What she and Aang had was a genuine, pure friendship. Katara and especially Sokka, however? 

No, it couldn't be, anyway. Even if Katara wasn't into Aang, it was clear the boy was infatuated with the waterbender. Kyoko couldn't just tear his heart away like that. Especially when she kept her relation with Zuko a secret from the siblings. 

And Sokka... surely he didn't feel that way. He wanted to make her feel good because he knew of her past struggles, he told her so himself. Besides... there was Suki. 

Kyoko shook her head. "Just silly..." she said, more to herself. 

If Meng wanted to say more, she never got the chance. Kyoko let out a yelp as she was being dragged away by Sokka's strong arms, pulling her towards Aang and Katara with a panicked look that made her sick in the stomach.

"What is it?!" She breathed out, anxiously. 

"It's Aunt Wu's prediction!" Aang said, his voice higher than usual. "She was wrong?"

"The Vulcano!" Sokka pointed. "We went to collect some flowers from there, and we saw that it is about to erupt any minute now!"

If Kyoko was suddenly punched in the guts, her heartbeat would've been slower. "What?!" She gasped, looking at the mountain behind them with disbelief. 

"It's true!" Sokka exclaimed. "We must warn the others before it's too late!" He turned towards the villagers and yelled out loud for all of them to hear. "Everyone, that volcano is gonna blow any second! Aunt Wu was wrong!"

A villager woman waved him off, scoffing. "Yeah, yeah, we know you and the green-eyed chick don't believe in Aunt Wu, Mr., and Miss. science and reason lovers."

Kyoko gritted her teeth at the woman, biting her lip to keep a rude comment to herself. Katara placed her hand on the girl's shoulder soothingly, before she stepped forward to address the idiotic people. "If you won't listen to him, maybe you'll listen to me. I want to believe Aunt Wu and her predictions as much as you do, but my brother and Aang saw the lava with their own eyes."

The calm man from before remained unmoved by her words. "Well, I heard Aunt Wu's prediction with my own ears."

Aang leaped onto the awning of a nearby building and spoke urgently. "Please listen to us! You are all in danger! And we have to get out of here! You can't rely on Aunt Wu's prediction, you have to take fate into your own hands!"

As if to emphasize his words, another explosion was heard from the volcano. The villagers seemed mildly alarmed.

Kyoko stared at them while she pointed towards the volcano, a spark away from exploding rudely at the stupid villagers. "Look! Can your fortune-telling explain that?"

Sokka nodded at her, glaring at the people. "How are her predictions cooperating with that?"

The man with red shoes turned to them amused, mocking the two. "Can your science explain why it rains?"

It took Katara and Aang's powers to keep the two from launching at the man. "Yes! Yes, it can!" They yelled, which only made the man laugh back.

The villagers chuckled, walking away without a care.

"I don't even want to help them anymore!" Kyoko snarled, putting away from the two's grab. "We should just gather our things and go. Leave these idiotic cretins to their 'fate'!"

"No!" Katara quickly say, before she let out a deep sigh. "They just won't listen to reason..."

"Yeah." Kyoko kicked at the ground. "They only listen to that seer hag."

Aang's eyes brightened in realization. "They _do_ listen to Aunt Wu..."

Sokka scoffed in disgust. "Yeah, that's the problem."

"Well, it's about to become the solution. We're taking fate into our own hands. First, I need to borrow Aunt Wu's cloud reading book." 

Sokka and Kyoko shared a look at this. This... wasn't actually a bad idea. It might actually be the best solution they had.

"Great thinking Aang!" She nodded as the boy hurried to grab the book. 

* * *

The four of them looked urgently through the book as Aang finally brought it, with Meng's help. 

"Clouds are made of water and air, so between the two of us, we ought to be able to bend them into any shape we want," Aang said, looking up at Katara.

Katara nodded, pointing to the page. "I found it. The symbol for volcanic doom."

Soon, Kyoko found herself staring as Katara and Aang manipulated the clouds to form the symbol they found in the book. It was their only chance to save the people. Below, the villagers looked up to see the clouds shifting as Sokka brought Aunt Wu over to her stage. Kyoko pointed to the sky.

"Aunt Wu, look! Something is happening in the clouds."

Aunt Wu gave the two a quizzical look. "That's very strange. It shouldn't..." A shadow fell over her face as the sky darkened. She gasped, suddenly terrified. "Oh my!"

Kyoko and Sokka shared a sly look as Aang and Katara formed the skull-shaped cloud, finally alerting the villagers. 

Aang and Katara ran from behind them, pleased with their achievement. "We still can save the village if we act fast. Kyoko and Sokka have a plan."

The two nodded. Kyoko gestured with her arms, addressing the crowd. "Lava is gonna flow downhill to this spot."

Sokka nodded. "If we can dig a deep enough trench we can channel all the lava away from the village to the river."

Kyoko stepped forward with determination. "If any of you are earthbenders, come with me."

The twins from before nodded. "I'm an earthbender!" One of them rose his hand.

The other rose his hand right after. "I'm not!"

The crowd dispersed very fast, now desperate to put Sokka's and Kyoko's plan into action. A few cries of urgency were uttered. Kyoko led the earthbenders until twilight, and a deep trench was beginning to form. Team Avatar and the town's people labored to dig the trench, using both earthbending and manual means.

Kyoko and three other earthbenders didn't spare a second, the girl's eyes frowned as she cleared two giant boulders out of the way. She has never been as grateful for her rare raw abilities as she was at that moment. Appa was transporting loose boulders, using a net attached to his body. Another explosion made a cut to the mountain again; now lava was spewing out.

Sokka gasped. "Dig faster! Dig faster!" He urged.

As lava began to flow down the volcano, the earthbender twin ran and swept his arms forward. A torrent of boulders was cleared and sent down the river as Kyoko and Poi created a channel toward the river.

The lava steadily crept further down the mountain toward the village.

"Everyone needs to evacuate! We'll come for you when it's safe!" Aang called to the villagers, who were eager to run away. 

Lava was erupting from its peak. A stream of the burning liquid was coursing down the mountain and into the forest. Aang, Kyoko, Katara, and Sokka all watched anxiously, ash falling upon them. An eerie reddish light emerged from the forest with its source, the approaching lava, close behind. As it passed the gate, the burning substance caused the structure to catch fire and crumble down. Unwavering and all-consuming, the lava continued its descent through the cemetery, destroying several headstones as it passed. Reaching the trench, the lava fell in the ditch, though the steady incoming river of lava quickly threatened to overflow the trench. 

"It's too much! It's gonna overflow!" Katara gasped. 

Another explosion rocked the village. Kyoko gaped at the volcano, where a huge column of lava and smoke exploded out of the peak. Burning rocks began to rain down in addition to the ash. Katara and Sokka began to run for safety but turned to see Aang and Kyoko have not moved. A huge boulder fell out of the sky and lands in the trench, throwing up a fountain of lava. A massive wave of lava began to head toward the village. Aang rushed forward with a furious face. He propelled himself into the air and began to airbend. As the lava began to overflow, Aang blew the lava straight up, not allowing it to advance on the village. Finally, he drew in a mighty intake of breath and expelled it, airbending it as it exited, cooling half of the lava to stone. Aang relaxed and assumed a meditation pose. 

Kyoko watched it all before her as if in a trance. The warmth was like nothing she felt before, not even when she was close to Kai's or Zhao's or Zuko's fire. It was raw power, destructive and mighty.

 _And it called for her_. The waves of lava rushing forward seemed to want to reach for her, to waltz her as if that was where it belonged. How could the most destructive thing on earth be so majestic? Kyoko wanted nothing more than to dance with the waves of burning chaos, to feel unstoppable as she became one with it. Her fingers tingled, her feet burned against the hot ground. She took several feet forward, her mind ablaze. 

She felt it before she saw it. Aang was obvious to the other waves of lava approaching, and Kyoko wouldn't have moved if Katara and Sokka's screams didn't pull her out of her trance. She turned as if electrified, screaming out Aang's name as the boulder of lava shot right towards the airbender's back, too fast for him to even turn around to see it. 

Kyoko felt as if the world stood frozen in her hands as she leaped forward, feeling every atom in the destructive molten rocks. Aang screamed, Katara screamed, Sokka screamed. But when they opened their eyes, they were met with the strangest and most enchanting sight they ever ought to see.

The lava never touched Aang. It didn't turn to stone or retreat either. With moves Kyoko saw Katara perform so many times, the earthbender moved the lava so majestically as if it was water instead of burning rock. 

The three gasped, more shocked than ever before. They had no idea _lavabending_ was even a thing, let alone that their best friend could manipulate it as easily as she could talk. In fact, they've never seen Kyoko bend so confidently, so rhythmically, and so precisely before.

The lava rose high as if to touch the sky, in a tsunami wave controlled and kept from burning the entire village by Kyoko's powers alone. It was strange to even consider this was the very first time in her life that the former Dao Fei bended lava - her moves, her perfect control over the element... it must have been practice a thousand times before for her to gather all the lava ina wave, not even a drop falling on the ground. 

Kyoko circled her hands as if she were a dancer rather than a bender. The giant wave of burning lava moved, and the lava turned to stone by Aang burned hot again, turning back into lava by Kyoko's movement alone. It all moved graciously back into the volcano, every single drop of lava that erupted. The sudden gathering of lava and smoke all caused something more beautiful than anything Kyoko and her friends have ever seen. 

_Vulcanic lighting._ Blue shocks of electricity painted the ashes before their eyes as the lava was gracefully placed back inside the volcano. As the lighting ceased, Kyoko let out a calm sigh, pushing her hands forward. She closed her eyes; she could feel everything under her feet. Every burning tingle from the destructive liquid smelled every fume of ash around. Kyoko opened her eyes with more determination than she ever had in her life. As easily as it came for her to breathe, she turned the lava into stone, forever frozen inside the now forever inactive volcano. It would never erupt again, not unless Kyoko _desired_. 

She turned around to face her friends, half expecting her body to feel exhausted. Instead, Kyoko soon realized, she never felt more alive. It took everything in her power not to turn the frozen stone back into lava and manipulate it as much as she desired. 

She was met with Aang's arms first, his face buried in her side. "You saved my life..." he whispered, tears picking at his eyes. 'I could never thank you enough." 

Sokka and Katara were soon to join the hug, huge smiles on their faces as they did so.

"That was the best thing I've seen in my entire life!" Sokka grinned, pinching Kyoko's arm as if to assure she was real.

"That was fantastic Kyoko!" Katara exclaimed, making Kyoko blush under their bright eyes. 

"Thank you..." she whispered, hugging them tightly. 

When they returned to the village, they were met with eager cheers. A few for Katara and Sokka, more for Aang, and as for Kyoko... she definitely didn't expect to be taken upon their arms, cheering her name as if she was some sort of spirit blessing their view. Her cheeks turned red in embarrassment, astonished with their praise. Perhaps, was it Aang instead of her, he'd adjust quickly to the attention. He was the _avatar_ , after all. But Kyoko? Former Dao Fei, little peasant girl that ate rats from the sewers and fed on garbage, or stole her way out of her starvation on rare occasions? The little savage girl that robbed nobles before she even learned how to speak? Little baby Kyo, who paled in comparison to her friends and especially her brother? Who was loathed by half of her mother's gang? 

To be praised in such ways, after learning she could _lavabend_ , was perhaps the first time Kyoko _truly_ felt worthy. Truly felt she deserved to be part of the avatar's team, which was one of the greatest honors anyone could have, second only to actually _being_ the avatar. 

Kyoko felt appreciated, loved, praised. It made her feel light as a feather, and when she was finally placed back on her feet, she realized she never felt happier to be surrounded by strangers. Strangers who _venerated_ her. 

Aunt Wu smiled brightly as she approached the beaming girl. "My dear, you are the very first non-avatar lavabender to ever exist." She took Kyoko's hand in hers and smiled yet wider. "I told you your destiny would be greater than you could anticipate." A shadow fell over her face. "It will also bring you great grief-" she stopped upon seeing the annoyed look on the girl's face; Wu couldn't possibly disrespect the hero of her village, "-but it would make you greater than any other earthbender that ever has and ever will live." 

With that, she kneeled, as did all the other villagers, before the only lavabender of the generation. "All hail Master Kyoko, protector and hero of the Makapu village."

"All hail Master Kyoko, protector and hero of the Makapu village!" all the villagers echoed, beaming at the girl. The earthbender twin stood up first, slamming his foot on the ground. A stone statue resembling Kyoko rose in the center of the village, showing her lavabending with a confident smile on her face. Kyoko's heart lightened in her chest, tears forming in the corner of her eyes. 

"Thank you..." she praised, to which the boy bowed respectfully, smiling brightly. 

She chuckled as Aang returned the book to Aunt Wu and asked her again about her prediction, and grinned as she felt Sokka's arm around her shoulders, the boy giving her a shit-eating grin. "Master Kyoko, huh?" 

"Oh, shush." She shoved him, to which he laughed wholeheartedly. 

"I'm just saying." He chuckled. "About time you get the praise you deserve." 

"Really?" Kyoko laughed, hiding her reddening cheeks. 

"Really." Sokka nodded with honesty before he started to playfully tickle her in the sides, repeating the villagers' praise tauntingly. "All hail the lavabender hero." He laughed. "Did you know you could do that?"

"I had no idea." Kyoko honestly responded between giggles, pulling away from Sokka's tickling.

"Well, how did it feel like?"

Kyoko considered for a moment, her pupils dilating. "Powerful."

As they said their goodbye -to which the villagers all groaned in disappointment to see their savior leave- Kyoko could only think about how lavabending felt all over again. Powerful. More powerful than she ever felt in her entire life. 

And Aunt Wu continued to thunder her mind, no matter how much she tried to push them away the entire following week. 

_It would bring you great grief._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I honestly couldn't wait to write lavabending. Kyoko would accomplish many other subendings with time, but lavabending is her most defining one. As great as it is, -spoiler I guess?- it would also bring her the greatest pain in her entire life for many chapters yet to come, very soon might I add.  
> Let me know what you guys think :))


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